The Future History

99. May 21st is drawing near.

2011-05-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

...An update

WORLD Magazine has published the following update on the Harold Camping pseudo-prophecy: Click here to read

Here is how the article begins:

Ralph Workman believes what he hears on Christian radio. He believes preacher and Family Radio chief Harold Camping is right about Judgment Day. He believes the world is coming to an end May 21, 2011.

Make sure you also read post 98 below for the full context.
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98. Harold Camping and May 21, 2011

2011-01-04T16:28:00.000-08:00

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A friend at my former job sent me the following website link to get my thoughts. It's an MSNBC article entitled "End of Days in May? Believers enter final stretch." Click here to read

The article starts out: "If there had been time, Marie Exley would have liked to start a family. Instead, the 32-year-old Army veteran has less than six months left, which she'll spend spreading a stark warning: Judgment Day is almost here."

Harold Camping, the leader of an independent Christian ministry called Family Radio Worldwide, has calculated that May 21, 2011 is the date for the Rapture (the day when Jesus Christ returns to take the true Christian believers to heaven), and for the start of God's judgment upon the Earth. Unstated in this MSNBC article, but stated on Camping's website, is his prediction for the date of God's destruction of the world on October 21, 2011.

I'm familiar with Harold Camping as the man who, in 1992, wrote a book called "1994?", where he predicts (or perhaps, proposes) that the return of Jesus Christ would be in September 1994. Note how the question mark at the end of the title hedges his proposal. Also note that copies of this book are now available on Amazon for as low as 16 cents. I'll let you guess why.

For what it's worth, here is the Wikipedia link concerning Harold Camping, which is a fair summary although apparently done by one who opposes Camping's methodology and conclusions. Also, here is the link to Camping's website We Can Know!, where much of his thinking is spelled out more completely: http://www.wecanknow.com/

I have already addressed the problem of "date-setting" regarding the return of Christ and various related judgments in other blogposts. The following two posts are the most relevant:

#42 should be read before #95:

#42: How can we know that Jesus coming is near?

#95: How near is the return of Christ?

Blogposts #10, #11, & #49 add a little more to the issue of "date-setting".

However (as I say in one of those posts), as the true time draws nearer (be it 2011, 2021, or 5021) someone through sheer luck may unwittingly guess the date when major end-time events start happening. Obviously this would not make him or her a great prophet. In post #95 (written in March 2010) I myself mention the year 2011 but only because others have called attention to it.

As the May 21st date draws nearer, I am sure that more will come out about this so-called prophecy, and I'll address the issue further here on The Future History blog.
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97. Currently updating previous 96 posts

2011-01-04T13:36:00.001-08:00

Yes, finally some action is taking place here on The Future History blog!

I am currently going back and updating (and in some cases correcting) the previous 96 posts. Generally these are additions or updates, which I indicate with an "added mm/dd/yy/tt" or "updated mm/dd/yy/tt". Where the corrections are grammatical or a rephrasing without a major change, I make no such notation.

It's good to be back, and new content will be added soon, and in increasing measure, Lord willing!

What do I mean by "soon"?

In the "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", Lucy bewails the fact that she will not be able to hear the Beautiful Story until Aslan reads it to her "soon". Lucy asks "Please, Aslan, what do you call soon?" Aslan majestically responds, "I call ALL times soon,"

Perhaps that's as close as I can come as to when words, sentences, paragraphs, and blogposts will roll forth here again in abundance, but one is coming right away!
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96. Regular Review of the Film "2012"

2010-04-06T20:39:00.001-07:00

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In fairness, I'm going to give the movie "2012" first a regular review, and then a biblical review. (Biblical review still to come, as of Jan 4, 2011)

HERE IS THE REGULAR REVIEW:

In one word, "Exciting!". I spent a lot of time on the edge of my seat, hoping that our 'heroes' would somehow make it out alive (I avoided reviews, so I had no idea how it would turn out). The edge of my seat was my computer chair, watching it on my Dell in peace and quiet.

In two words, "Special Effects". As the credits rolled (and rolled and rolled for 6 minutes), I noticed that there were at least eight special effects and graphics companies used, and I said to myself, "no wonder the special effects were so spectacular, and so real (with very few exceptions)". I might watch it again on the big TV where I can do slow-motion and freeze frames, just to analyze the special FX.

In three words, "Better than expected". I knew the general idea of the plot, but I had particularly stayed away from reviews that revealed the ending. Now, looking back, the reviews were not very good. For example, on IMDb the Internet Movie Database, 64,000 viewers voted, and gave it a 6 .0 out of 10.0. I think some people (many?) downgraded the movie based on expectations --they expected a 6.0 and gave it exactly that. The Rotten Tomatoes site was not even that kind. The professional reviewers surveyed gave it a 40 out of 100. Oh, well, to me it was maybe an 8.0 out of 10.0. (Okay, maybe just a 7.5 due to the 'cheese' factor)

In four words, "Hokey, corny, cheesy, predictable". These four words, in general, are the essence of the reviewer's comments. Maybe I was so blown-away by the special effects, I didn't notice the Foul Four descriptions. Well, yes, from time to time I did notice them. But there was one thing that should have been predictable that I missed, and therefore which made the last 20 minutes especially entertaining to me. Am I telling? No, since maybe someone hasn't seen the movie that still wants to. (Now out on DVD)

In five words, "Next Post: the Biblical Review"
What about the Mayan calendar? Was the film too 'new-age'? How does Christianity fit in? Are the 2012 end-time portrayals similar or at variance from generally accepted biblical views? Will it convince and lead people away from the Christian position? Or TO more accurate information? Posted soon.
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95. Q - How near is the return of Christ?

2010-03-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

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A friend asked me the subject question, but in the context of the nearness of the year -- wondering if it might be in 2011 or 2012? I suspect her question was prompted by all the seemingly negative things going on currently upon the earth. Also, the short discussion we had indicated she was really asking about the nearness of the rapture, where Jesus Christ comes from heaven to take his church (true believers) to heaven before the Tribulation, a period of catastrophe and chaos upon the Earth.

I have addressed the subject of when Christ will return many times before, and I particularly recommend you read this Post#42 before you continue here.

Presuming you have now read the earlier post, first, a word about date setting. Post #42 teaches us that no one can know the day and hour of His coming. Yet in the same context we are told to watch, so that we will not be surprised by His coming. That we should pay attention to the signs and warnings going on around us, that we should be better prepared for that day and hour. And to do that, we gain help by understanding the times and the seasons.

In 1988, Edgar Whisenant, a writer/researcher published a book called "88 Reasons why the Rapture will be in 1988". Here is the link to the Wikipedia entry, which is worth reading.
By almost all accounts, Edgar Whisenant was a honest man, a man greatly desiring for the Lord to come, a student of the Bible -- yet where did he go wrong (besides in trying to set a date)?

One of his primary calculations occurred thus: Israel became a nation on May 13-14th, 1948. The Bible says that a generation will not pass away until all these things (the catastrophic things around His coming) are accomplished. The Bible generally speaks of a generation as being about 40 years, thus 1948 + 40 = 1988. This was one of his 88 reasons, but a major one!!

While I do not hold entirely to this following analyzation, I put it here as a matter of record as to an illustration of the latest thinking:

Many evangelical scholars, pastors, and teachers, think the first part of his argument may be correct, that the prophetic clock started ticking again in 1948. The wrong part was thinking that "a generation" was 40 years long. Instead, it may be 70 years long, the "3 score and 10" (three twenties & ten) that the Bible mentions as a reasonable, normal life of a person.

If you add the 70 years to the 1948, you get 2018. There are a few bible prophecy teachers that teach 2018 as a possible date of the Lord's return. But is this the date of the Rapture, or of the date of the ending of the tribulation where the Lord will come back in splendor and glory? If the latter, then the rapture would be 7 years earlier, in 2011.

There is a great danger to date setting, for (almost) all dates come and go without the predicted events occuring. But, there IS a date, a day and a hour, known only to God where the Lord will come for his church. We are to get ready, and to be ready and watchful! Perhaps it will be soon! Even so, come Lord Jesus.
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94. Sorry, still getting organized

2010-03-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

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Retirement: A time to catch up on all the things needed at home.

Yes, that definition seems to be true. Plus, it's Income Tax time, and ours is more difficult than usual. So, without belaboring the issue, I'm still not yet blogging full time.

But soon I will be, and I hope even before that time to post some things and thoughts off and on.

With all the things that are going on in the world and in our nation, it is not time to let our guard down. Do you have a copy of the Declaration of Independence and of the U.S. Constitution? Now would be a good time to read them again if you are unsure about what they say. The U.S. Constitution will become particularly important in the months ahead. If you have an Amazon Kindle, you can download the two documents together for $1.00. I just did.

I started blogging almost exactly 9 months ago, and I know this for certain: The "Things that are coming upon the world" are 9 months nearer than when I began blogging.

If they were 20 years away, they are now only 19 years and 3 months away. If they were 5 years away, they are now only 4 years and 3 months away. And if they were just 18 months away back when I started, they are only 9 months away now. Jesus said, "Be Watchful" and "Be Ready", for "you do not know when the Lord will return".

And next: a friend's question about the nearness of the Lord's return.
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93. Link to article in The End Time blog

2010-03-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

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Elizabeth Prata has a great article on her blogsite about the many instances of weird weather. I recommend it highly:
Click here to read it.
You might consider adding Elizabeth's The End Time blog to your favorites -- it's one of mine...

Larry

92. Near-Earth Flybys of Asteroids, Meteorites

2010-03-05T11:54:00.000-08:00

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As an university Astronomy major in my pre-Christ days, I've continued my interest during my 38 years as a believer. And thanks to the miracles of modern telescopy, more and more we hear about potential "close encounters of the cataclysmic kind", celestial objects nearly colliding with Earth. In truth, most of these objects pass by far outside the orbit of the moon, which is on average about 240,000 miles away from earth -- but a few pass inside the moon's orbit.

There are many and varied attempts to find and catalogue these near-earth objects, most amateur and some professional. By saying 'amateur', I mean it not in any negative way, but only in the unpaid way, for it is true that as many as 90% of these potentially hazardous objects were initially found and catalogued by unpaid amateurs using such instruments as backyard telescopes, visual and radio, large and small.

The most notable professional group is NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory's own "Asteroid Watch" initiative, which can be seen at this site: Click here for NASA. I also have them as a twitter favorite, at click for twitterlink.

What does all this have to do with the end-times, you ask?
At the very least, it may have to do with these words of Jesus specifically about the end-times: "There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven." (Lk 21:11), which may or may not include such physical encounters.

But did you know that the book of Revelation specifically mentions two events that can easily be interpreted as celestial objects striking the earth? I would add parenthetically that not even NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has any way of stopping such visitors from the cosmos.

The first of the two events takes place during the tribulation, sometime after the 3 1/2 year midpoint: "8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed." Rev 8:8-9.

The second takes place soon after the first, or at least as the next event after it on the prophetic calendar: "10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— 11 the name of the star is Wormwood (which means Bitterness). A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter." Rev 8:10-11

It could be that these verses do not describe asteroids or meteorites crashing into the Earth at all, but some unique catastrophic destruction sent especially as a further warning to rebellious unbelieving mankind before God brings down the curtain upon this world as it exists today.

Think on these things, but even more think about another occurance out of heaven:
Matt 24:26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
and also,
1 Thessalonians 4:13 "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep(that is, have died), lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep (that is, die) in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.."

He will be coming in great glory and splendor, a display for all the world to see and marvel -- some to eternal blessedness and some to eternal darkness.
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91. A political comment -- and a promise

2010-03-05T09:58:00.000-08:00

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First, the promise: This blog is NOT going to turn into a political blog, and is absolutely going to remain an end-times, last-days blog for the purpose of education, instruction, preparation, and warning.

However, I posted this comment today on a friend's blog, and thought it worth repeating here. This friend is a co-laborer in both the political and spiritual arenas.

Posting this here preserves and demonstrates my commitment to "not be so heavenly-minded that I am no earthly good." I thought that this relates much to "Future History", and I welcome your comments.

Sadly, in these days of issues-oriented voting (as opposed to values-oriented voting), there is no perfect candidate. This would include Scott Brown, at first glance a nearly perfect candidate, but with a closer look a very imperfect candidate (except for his perfect jaw-line).

For that reason, due to my commitment to 'values-oriented' voting, I will almost always vote for the better of the candidates, a defensive measure that may "improve" that individual office considerably.

Explaining more fully, if the only option I have is to replace a congressman who votes 1 time out of 10 for my values with a congressman who will vote 5 out of 10 times for my values, I consider that a vote and time well-spent, and I will have improved that office five-fold. And hopefully next time I can replace that person with someone who will vote 9 (or 10!) out of 10 times for my values-oriented positions (which I continually work to align with biblical values).

Always "improve the office" if we can. Never allow a stinker to stay if we have any other option. Besides, if we demand only 'perfect' candidates, it will keep many people with good values from running for office. We need to encourage imperfect people (like ourselves) to bring their values to Washington to better the common good.

This must not be taken as an approval of moderate views, but rather an acceptance of the principle that certain tasks and goals may be handled incrementally, as God indicates in Exodus 23:29-30: "29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. 30 But little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land."

I welcome your comments!
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90. A Tale of Two Earthquakes

2010-02-27T17:17:00.000-08:00

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I could not let today's 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile to go unmentioned, especially since it comes so soon after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti (the 2nd deadliest one in known history). So, this is officially my first post-sabbatical blogpost.

I have posted three previous times on the subject of earthquakes, which is certainly reasonable and proper to do so, since the focus of this "Future History" blog involves end-time events as mentioned in the Bible, and how current events relate to Biblical prophecies.

Before I comment further here, I'd like to direct your attention to those three previous posts where earthquakes were the major topic. (The word earthquake appears in many other posts however):

Post 31. "Earthquakes and the End Times", where the text of all the Bible prophetic passages about earthquakes are listed, plus a comment about current earthquakes in California. Posted July 10, 2009. Click here to read.

Post 32. "And Another Medium Quake in Calif today", where we discuss the Richter Scale, how it works, and the rating of famous (or infamous) earthquakes. Posted July 11, 2009. Click here to read.

Post 76. "Earthquakes: Are they getting your attention?", where I discuss whether quakes are really more prevalent. Posted October 1, 2009. Click here to read.

Since the contents of the above posts relate closely to the two recent earthquake events, please read them and then continue:

First, before we tackle and compare the human misery element of the two earthquakes, lets discuss the relative strength of the two earthquakes:

How much stronger was the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile than the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti? Lets see: If we divide the smaller 7.0 into the larger 8.8, we get 1.257 -- which means that the Chilean earthquake was 1.257 times stronger than the Haitian quake. Right?

Totally and utterly wrong!! Remember what we said in post #32, that to go up "1.0" on the Richter Scale (like from 5.0 up to 6.0, or from 7.5 up to 8.5), means that the "stronger" hurricane is ten (10) times stronger than the "weaker" hurricane. So the Chilean hurricane is AT LEAST 10 times stronger than the Haitian one, and almost 100 times as strong. But thanks to the miracle of Excel Spreadsheets, we can calculate the exact difference. To go from 7.0 up to 8.8 means the Chile hurricane was 63.1 times as strong as the Haiti earthquake. Trust me and Excel. (I'll post the calculations in a comment below. )

Now regarding human suffering, there are at least two mitigating circumstances as to why, when the Haiti quake killed 250,000 people, that the Chile quake did not kill millions.

First, today's Chile quake was much further underground, and the effect was blunted by the time it reached the surface.

Second, Chile had experienced an even larger earthquake on May 22nd, 1960 -- 9.5 magnitude, 1655 killed, and two million homeless. After that 1960 quake they prepared for "the next big one", with much stricter building codes and standards. As bad as things look now on television, it will turn out that years of Chilean preparation saved their country from a similar ruin in 2010.

I have not much more to add here, but just to note that the second decade of the 2000's is just barely starting, and already we have two massive earthquakes, one as measured by loss of life, and one as measured by the Richter Scale strength of the quake.

Finally, as I pointed out in an earlier post, back in July of 2009, California was averaging about 500 quakes a week of all sizes (most 3.0 magnitude or less). But now, just 6 months later, California is averaging nearly 750 quakes a week of all sizes. Here is the link to the current report: Click here.

My guess is that this will not be the last posting in 2010 on major earthquakes.
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89. Coming into view: The End of my Sabbatical

2010-02-16T20:48:00.000-08:00

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Hello, everyone. It will be helpful for you to read (or reread) post #85 before beginning this post. Click here.

About the same time I posted #85 about my sabbatical, I also gave my notice of retirement to my employer, such retirement planned for the end of February. And so, with great joy, as of today Feb 16th, I have only 7 more days at work, two this week and five next week!

O joy, O praise, Hallelujah! Hurray, o joyous day! But I digress.

It is not all joy, for I have worked with wonderful people with whom I've had a great relationship for almost 8 years! I will miss them -- but I'll come back and visit from time to time.

And what's more, perhaps I'll meet them HERE, when some of them comment. That'll be nice.

But on the first of March, I still won't be up to full speed here (my normal speed: a post every day or two), but maybe by mid-March !!

I hope I'll see you back soon, and we'll take up where we left off.

Give me a shout-out (also called a comment) on this post if you're reading this.

Blessings to you,
Larry
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88. Revisit Post # 87 - Still Relevant !!

2010-01-15T18:35:00.000-08:00

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Note: Scott Brown INDEED won the Massachusetts Senate seat!

The post below this one, Post #87, is dated December 7th, 2009 -- but it is not "so last decade".

Everything I said in it applies today (if not more so), and I'm going to contact the same Senators again, just to make sure they get the message. However, it is not now the Senate version of the bill we are hoping to defeat, but the combined House/Senate bill which will be voted on first by the House, and then by the Senate.

Let's not depend on the possibility (or even the actuality) of Scott Brown winning the Massachusetts Senate seat formerly occupied by Ted Kennedy. Let's not try for 41 votes against Obamacare, but 43 or 44 votes against it. Note that 41 votes against it would imply 59 for it, which would not be the supermajority the Dem's need for a filibuster-proof bill -- and therefore would open the door for endless filibustering by the Republicans (a good thing! in this case...) and would for all practical purposes, be the death of this deeply flawed healthcare bill.

Those of us not living in Massachusetts need to pray first, that Scott Brown would win; second, that if he wins, that the powers that be will seat him promptly; and third, that no nut-case person will assassinate him on the way to the Senate.

Larry

87. About the Senate Health Care Bill

2009-12-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

An Action Plan!

This blogpost has around 1200 words. In comparison, the Senate version Health Care Bill has around 500,000 words, and if it passes into law, will eventually cost the American taxpayers more than $3,000,000 per word.

Now do I have your attention?

Dear Friends and Family,

This may take you some time. It took George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, and John Hancock some time to do their part also. This will take you less time (and blood, and sweat, and tears) than it took them.

Please consider these things about the Senate version of the Health Care Bill:

After the introduction to the bill, the index of the bill and the bill's title, finally on page 15, we find the first 63 words of the bill itself:

"Part A of title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg et seq.) is amended (1) by striking the part heading and inserting the following: ‘‘PART A—INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP MARKET REFORMS’’; (2) by redesignating sections 2704 through 2707 as sections 2725 through 2728, respectively (3) by redesignating sections 2711 through 2713 as sections 2731 through 2733, respectively . . . "

The rest of the bill is not much better, although it does lapse into readable (but not understandable) English for large sections before relapsing into gobbledygook. But here's the thing: It is no more understandable to the Senators than to you, since very few (if any) of them have read all of it, and many of them have read none of it. And furthermore, it will be equally incomprehensible to the government bureaucrats who will have eventual control over our health costs and medical procedures, especially if and when you become a senior (and you all are heading in that direction!).

Link to the Bill text: The Senate version Health Care Bill
(Read a page or two at random and see if you can understand it)

You may have heard that the Senate version of the Health Care Bill is being rushed through the Senate by the Democratic Party leadership and may be voted on before Christmas. You may also wonder why no Republican Senator is planning on voting for the bill. It is not because they do not want to help the needy, it is because they do not want to harm the already-hurting American taxpayer further, and because this Health Care Bill is the largest appropriation of governmental power in the history of the United States.

Here is why the taxpayer should be concerned: The stated cost is $847,000,000,000 (in case you’ve lost track of all those zeros, that is $847 billion dollars). But the true cost over the next 10 years will actually approach $2,500,000,000,000 ($2.5 trillion dollars). The true cost is more than $1 billion dollars per PAGE (the bill contains 2074 pages of legal gobbledygook), and more than $3,000,000 per WORD! !

Many people think this will be funded with “government money”, or, sadly, as some uninformed people have seriously suggested, “with Obama money”. But I have news for you: the U.S. government and the President have no money. And I mean that two different ways:

First, if it could be shown that the U.S. government has money, it is actually our money which has been transferred to the government through a variety of taxation devices. So the government has no money that is not actually our money.

Second, the U.S. government has no money because it is basically bankrupt. If the government were a person, or a corporation, or a state like California, it would have to eventually file for bankruptcy. It owes MUCH MORE than it has the ability to pay.

So the cost of the Government Health Care Bill will be paid by … taxpayers. That is, you and me, our children, and our grandchildren.

Whether you consider yourself a conservative or not, I ask you to thoughtfully consider sending your U.S. Senators, and certain other selected U.S. Senators, an email requesting them to vote NO to this giant bloated takeover of our nation’s health care system.

NOTE: The news on Weds 12/09 is saying:
"Senate Democrats reach agreement on health plan." This is not so! The vote has not yet happened, and many Senators are still undecided. Please proceed on and act, but the time is getting short!

Here is the email that I sent to 19 special situation U.S. Senators:

Dear Senator (fill in last name)

Please vote NO for the Senate Health Care Bill. This is not the change that 70% of American taxpayers want. It's way too expensive, and causes too much harm to Seniors.

Try again for 250 pages, and $250 billion dollars. This will keep about 90% of things the same (the way we like it now) and will permit health care for the 15-20 million uninsured citizens who both need it and want it.

Millions of us are waiting to see who will stand with us and VOTE NO to this bill, bloated both with words and dollars. You have often voted with those of us who want less spending and less government intervention. Thank you, and we ask that you vote with us again!

Below is a list of these 19 U.S. Senators who fall into three special target catagories:
1. Democrats who sometimes vote for conservative issues like fiscal responsibility and against overspending,
2. Democrats who seem to be in tight races and might possibly lose their current Senate seat if they vote for this bill,
and 3. A few Republicans who every once in a while vote with the liberal tax-and-spend position (we want to discourage these defectors).

The other 81 Senators to which I sent no email are either (a) Republicans who will definitely vote AGAINST the bill, or (b) Democrats who will definitely vote FOR the bill. It’s these 19 in-between Senators that we want to contact and hopefully convince to vote "NO".

All the following senators can be easily contacted via this website:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Click on [Choose a Senator] to bring up each Senator and their email address ("web form"), and then click that to bring up each Senator’s respective email form. Then fill it all out and send it to each one of these 19 Senators.

(D): Democrat (R): Republican (I): Independent

Michael Bennet – D – Colorado
Evan Bayh – D – Indiana
Blanche Lincoln – D – Arkansas
Tim Johnson – D – South Dakota
Diane Feinstein – D – California
Joseph Lieberman – I – Connecticut
Ben Nelson – D – Nebraska
Mary Landrieu – D – Louisiana
Bill Nelson – D – Florida
Olympia Snowe – R – Maine
Susan Collins – R – Maine
Arlen Specter – D – Pennsylvania
Mark Begich – D – Alaska
Lisa Murkowski – R – Alaska

The above 14 are “MUST” contacts.

The following 5 are less likely to vote against the bill,
but yours might be the email that turns the tide!
(currently incoming emails are running 60 to 80% against the bill)

Mark Pryor – D – Arkansas
Kent Conrad – D – North Dakota
Claire McCaskill – D – Missouri
Thomas Carper – D – Delaware
Byron Dorgan – D – North Dakota

Most people do not act because they don't know how to act. Now you have no excuse.

Should you just copy and send my email? Probably not, although you have my okay to reword it. Better that you should touch on the same issues in your own words. Notice I have not explicitly threatened the senators, but have tried to show tough love, because these are senators that sometimes vote conservatively (or else, are dangerously close to losing their seats in 2010). And, note that I have indicated my willingness to be reasonable in insuring certain citizens who at present have no health insurance (note the word "citizens").

Also notice that my Senator email is less than 140 words. Most of the Senator’s email sites allow about 1000 words. But I’m hoping to get mine read. Even mine looks pretty long. If you can reduce the issues down to 75-100 words, GO FOR IT!

Feel free to contact me via our email, or my blog, or by phone 214-823-5688.

May God bless you, and may God bless America!

Larry

86. Recommended book: "One Second After"

2009-11-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

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Rewritten and expanded on Monday, November 9, 2009.
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Three nuclear blasts high above America bring life, first, to a standstill; and afterwards to a great decline due to the EMP (ElectroMagnetic Pulse) "frying" effect on computers and electronic products.

Fiction? Yes, William Forstchen’s “One Second After” is a novel, but it is grounded in an all-too-real possibility of an EMP nuclear attack on the USA launched from a cargo container ship in the Atlantic.

I’m listening to the CD audiobook, but I've just bought the hardback as a source of information and ideas about what we as family and individuals need to do to survive such a situation in our country. I'll be making notes as I read the hardback, the notes I wish I had taken during the CD.

The members of Congress have only agreed on one issue during this decade: that All Americans should read this book. The Wall Street Journal warned that this is the weapon that could bring America down to the level of a banana republic.

How will your life need to change? Forstchen has many practical answers (although often with R-rated language). Newt Gingrich writes the Forward.

Do Christians need to be prepared for such things? Yes! Christians, of all people, should be fully prepared in every area of their lives. Read the book, and see if you don't agree -- and then please comment here, and we'll discuss!

Here is the link to Amazon:
http://j.mp/4eoG2h
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85. The blogmeister is taking a sabbatical.

2009-10-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

'
Sabbatical: any extended period of leave from one's customary work, esp. for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc.
--------------
Yes, I could say Amen! to all of the above definition -- esp the "etc."

The "etc." includes (1) my wife having a much slower recovery from
4-toe surgery and from a recent bronchoscopy procedure than we would have hoped. And then, there are other impending issues, like (2) the holidaze, (3) preparing tax information which I need to file in early January, (4) preparing the house for new construction (adding a couple of rooms), and I'm ready for a sabbatical!

A personal observation: As I saw the things above rushing toward our family, it became less of a joy and more of a chore to study and prepare the posts, and where previously the posts came almost daily (more ideas than time to post them), now it is fewer ideas and almost no time to post them.

It may be that I will post things from time to time during my sabbatical. I cannot tell that from this point. So, if you have this blog as a favorite, please keep it on your list, and check in from time to time. AND, I will definitely answer all comments (since my email notifies me when you do so) during the interim.

And then there is this:

While we are waiting, most of the blog content here does not become less meaningful with age, but rather, more meaningful! If you start again at #1, you'll see new things that have now become more important (and perhaps more understandable) due to the speed of world happenings.

Thanks for your active interest, and continue those comments!
I hope to see you again here early in the new year.

May God grant to you grace, mercy and peace, until we meet here again.

Larry

84. "Where there is no vision, the people perish."

2009-10-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

This is Proverbs 29:18a from the KJV.

This passage is usually taken by the general public to mean that a people or a land must have a visionary person among them, or at least someone with a little imagination -- a person with "vision".

But this is a misapplication, which can be seen when we look at other Bible translations or versions (notice that I am listing these generally from the most word-for-word literal translation to the most free-style):

NASB: Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained.
NKJV: Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
ESV: Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,
NIV: Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
NLT: When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild;
NCV: Where there is no word from God, people are uncontrolled.

But the second half of the verse adds more to the meaning:

NASB: But happy is he who keeps the law.
NKJV: But happy is he who keeps the law.
ESV: but blessed is he who keeps the law.
NIV: but blessed is he who keeps the law.
NLT: But whoever obeys the law is joyful.
NCV: but those who obey what they have been taught are happy.

In other words, the word "vision" refers to a prophetic vision, a prophetic revelation. If there is no prophet in the land, there is no prophetic vision. And if there is no prophetic vision, the people "run wild" as the NLT says. But opposed to this attitude of unrestraint are those who are happy, joyful, and blessed, because they keep the law (of God).

Now not only is this true in the biblical sense of this verse, it is also true in the traditional sense of the verse, with which I started out this blog.

Here's what I mean:
What is imagination? Try this definition for imagine: the ability to see or create in the mind that which is not actually there.

So how is this different from vision? When we look at the basic meaning of vision, it is the ability to see that which is actually there. Someone who has 20/20 vision has perfect ability to see what is there -- to see things as they really are.

I would suggest that a person, a leader, a people, or a nation must first have this kind of vision -- to see what is there, before they can exercise imagination properly -- to see in the mind what is not there.

And therefore, we can say, "when the leader or leaders of a people or a nation do not have the ability to see what is actually before their eyes, it may lead to the downfall of that people or nation into anarchy (where total restraint is cast off)."
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83. US GOVT AGREES TO AL QUEDA TERMS

2009-10-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

Headline of the possible future? .

Doubtful? Questionable? Incredible? Even Unthinkable?
No, not unthinkable, because I think about the possibilities often.
Beyond belief? Perhaps. Beyond possibility? No, not at all.

If that headline in the title were to ever appear in America's newspapers, I suspect it would be followed shortly by the following headline: "US Militia attacks national and overseas targets"

How could this scenario ever take place? And what are the possibilities?

Answering the second question first, I consider the possibility of the scenario I am going to outline to be in the 50-80% range. Perhaps I am too naive not to put it in the 99% range.

Now the first question: How could this scenario ever take place?

When I search Google for "Suitcase Nukes", I get 1,430,000 hits. The information behind the hits ranges from the opposing positions of "Two-hundred suitcase nukes in existence" to "Not a chance that any of them will work" to "None in existence". All three are too extreme, and the reality lies somewhere in the middle (included in this scenario is the existence and use of similar "backpack nukes").

Here are three "reasonable" posts regarding suitcase nukes, the first, a non-sensational "just the facts", from The National Terror Alert website (America's leading source for Homeland Security News): National Terror Alert website

and the second from a myth-busting website that considers the entire spectrum of views, The War of Illusions site (much more down-to-earth, level-headed, than it sounds): War of Illusions website

A quote from the above post: A former CIA director, George Tenet, is convinced that al-Qaida wants to change history with the mushroom cloud of a nuclear attack. In 1998, Osama bin Laden issued a statement called “The Nuclear Bomb of Islam.”
“It is the duty of Muslims to prepare as much force as possible to terrorize the enemies of God,” he said.

and a third more "sensational", yet fact-filled article by Jerome Corsi in World News Daily: Jerome Corsi website

As I read these three articles and many more, I have come to the conservative conclusion that there are somewhere between two and twenty suitcase or backpack nukes in various stages of decay, repair, or mobilization in the world today.

And from that conclusion, comes my possible/likely/probable scenario of a twin nuclear attack on New York City in downtown Manhattan, and in Washington DC in the Capital-White House-Supreme Court area, between 10am and 2pm on an undeterminable day. If they were to go off at different times, the Washington DC event would have to be first. With these twin nuclear blasts, the center of business and the seat of our government would be wiped out in a single blow.

Can I take credit for this idea? Not hardly. This scenario has been proposed many times, one of the latest being Joel Rosenberg in his recent best selling novel "Dead Heat". The Amazon website tells a lot about it: Amazon Dead Heat

"Dead Heat" starts out not with two nuclear blasts, but five. And my initial reaction to the book remains the same, that the problems facing America were too easily fixed, and too soon solved. Rather, think Post-WWII Germany in 1945: 15 years to bring to a reasonable state by 1960.

If twin nuclear blasts take out Washington DC and Manhattan, things will be far worse than "Dead Heat" suggests. If the timing of the blasts were particularly 'right' for Al Queda (and I presume they would be), of the 600 top governmental leaders in the USA, there might be only 15-40 of the national leaders left alive -- those away from the city. There would be no central control, and perhaps no communication due to such devices and controls being rendered inoperative by a single or multiple Electromagnetic Pulses (EMP). (See Amazon for "EMP", non-fiction and fiction)

And then the second blow would hit: A warning from Al Queda, that five more nuclear blasts were prepared to go off in five other major cities within 24 hours unless America agrees to Al Queda's terms. These five cities would never be mentioned, but could only be speculated. Surely Houston and Los Angeles would be two of them... but the other three? Perhaps Atlanta, perhaps DFW.

Thus, depending upon who was left running the country, the next day's headline might be: "US GOVT AGREES TO AL QUEDA TERMS". Or the alternative: "HELL NO, WE WON'T AGREE!"

Surely with the latter attitude, and maybe even with the attitude of capitulation, within 24 hours the other five devices would explode (or worse, maybe larger devices would be launched from offshore container ships), and America as we know it today would be no more -- with five to thirty million people dead or dying. Travel, eating, working, and known comforts would be barely possible. Within weeks, possibly 100,000,000 dead.

Is this view even Biblical? I think so, and I'll address that eventually in another post. But as for now, do what Homeland Security suggests: be watchful, be wary, be careful, and be sure to report all suspicious activity. And while you watch and wait, read Revelation 18.

I'll be watching for your comments!

(I would add (a day after the above post) that there has never been a weapon fashioned that has not eventually been used -LG 10/19/09 14:43cdt)

And I would also ask you to check out post 86 above here, about a book recommendation "One Second After" -LG 11/13/09 4:00cst.

82. A known problem with Blogspot blogs...

2009-10-16T21:16:00.001-07:00

...like this "The Future History" blog of mine:

When you (as a visitor/reader) post a comment, sadly, it does not tell me (the writer) WHICH blogpost you are commenting on. It's a known problem which Google has never fixed.

SO, when you comment, please start out with the post number (#31, for example), and I'll be able to find your comment right away -- and you'll get a quicker answer.

(If you have a Google blog that does not have this problem, or you have discovered a different solution, please let me know by commenting below on this post #82.)

God bless you,
and thanks for being a part of The Future History blog.

Larry

P.S. I like comments very much! It adds life to the blog. So do not take this as any negativity toward comments. Just trying to fix an annoying Google problem.
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81. Ahmadinejad stresses Doom to Israel...

2009-10-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

...if Israel or USA attacks Iran.

Article:

"Iran to 'Blow Up the Heart of Israel' if Attacked"

Click to link to article

Sounds like Israel is between the devil (Ahmadinejad) and the deep blue sea (the Mediterannean).
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80. Headline from the Near Future

2009-10-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

"How Israel Was Disarmed"

(Note: the link to the article was not working, I fixed it 10/9, and now it seems to be working okay)

Thanks to @speli on twitter for posting this article from the near future (Jan 10, 2010) from the Wall Street Journal

Click here for article

Since the prophetic center of the Bible is Israel, and since the prophetic center of Israel is Jerusalem, and since the prophetic center of Jerusalem is the temple mount, I thought that this article was worthy of thoughtful study.
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79. David & Jonathan: Homosexual Lovers?

2009-10-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

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If you think so, or at least wonder if it is so, please read Gary Yates' thoughtful post on that subject. This is extremely well written, and carefully reasoned. Gary is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in Lynchburg, VA.

The Title is : David & Jonathan: Best Friends Forever or Something More?
Link: Click here

What would this have to do with the endtimes? When homosexuality becomes accepted in a nation, usually the judgment of God is not far behind. And judgment upon America might be a precursor to the final judgment upon the world. Just a thought.
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78. Revelation 13 - Bible Study - Part 4B

2009-10-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

Rev 13:5-7 : The Antichrist exercises his power
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A GUIDED BIBLE STUDY OF REVELATION 13

Part 1. Literal vs. Symbolic in Revelation 12 Post #64 Link
Part 2. Rev 13:1-2 : Introduction to the Antichrist Post #66 Link
Part 3. Rev:13:3-4 Satan empowers the Antichrist Post #67 Link
Part 4A. Rev 13:5-7 The Antichrist exercises his power Post #71 Link
==>Part 4B. Rev 13:5-7 The Antichrist exercises his power
Part 5. Rev 13: 8-10 The Reign of the Antichrist
Part 6. Rev 13:11-13 Another beast: The False Prophet
Part 7. Rev 13:14-15 The Image of the beast
Part 8. Rev 13:16-18 The Mark of the Beast

Overview of Part 4B:
1. The Biblical Text of the Passage
2. An Expanded Version of the Text
3. The Explanation

1. The Biblical Text of the Passage (this lesson in bold)

13: 5 And the beast was given a mouth speaking insolent words and blasphemies, and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name, and his dwelling place, and those who dwell in heaven. 7. It was granted to him to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.

2. An Expanded Version of the Text (this lesson in bold)

13: 5 And the beast was given a mouth speaking insolent (proud, haughty) words and blasphemies (words against God), and [he was allowed] to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He (or, it {where appropriate}) opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander (blaspheme) his name, and his dwelling place (his tabernacle), and those who dwell in heaven. 7. [Also,]
he was given power (was allowed) to make war against the saints and to conquer (overcome) them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.

3. The Explanation

At the end of the previous lesson (part 4A), we saw that the last verse (13:7) speaks primarily of the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation, where the antichrist will speak against God and the things of God horribly, and, as it says in verse 13:7, “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to conquer them.”

Saints? Who are these saints? Will I, will you be included among those “saints” that are persecuted and “conquered”? Maybe. Maybe not.

By way of reminder, according to the premillennial, pre-trib position, all the church was taken up (raptured) to be with God sometime before the start of the seven-year tribulation. So, as this viewpoint goes, there are no Christian believers left on the earth immediately after the rapture. But when the rapture occurred, there were likely many who were weeks, and days, and hours (and minutes?!) away from making a decision to believe in Jesus; and now these people are easily and quickly convinced. And so, shortly after the rapture a new set of believers emerge, a growing number, the saints of the tribulation.

Will there be many people that become believers/saints during the tribulation? Will there be any that believe in Jesus Christ during the Great Tribulation?

In Revelation 7:9, when John is standing before the throne of God, he writes of that scene: “After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the lamb…”

After a time of worship and praise before God and before the Lamb, an elder tells John who these people are: “These are the ones who came out of the Great Tribulation, and washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Rev 7:14)”

So there you are. The saints that were saved before the tribulation aren't numbered anywhere, but surely must number in the billions since they include every believer throughout history. But the saints saved after the rapture, during the tribulation, cannot be numbered.

This would be the situation according to the premill, pre-trib position, that there would be no purpose for God to take the saints that have already been saved through the tribulation.
(Future posts coming up: Why won’t the saints go through the tribulation, and Just what IS the purpose of the tribulation?)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Now, lets look at our single verse yet to be considered in this lesson section:

7. [Also,] he was given power (was allowed) to make war against the saints and to conquer (overcome) them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.

There are two main subjects here, as follows:
A. The antichrist will be allowed to make war against the saints and to conquer them, and
B. The antichrist will have authority over the whole earth: every tribe, people, language, and nation.

And to them, let’s add a third subject,
C. Eventually the saints will receive the kingdom, and will possess it forever!

Are there any other verses in the Bible that tell us that the antichrist will wage war and conquer the saints besides Rev 13:7? (Note: we do not need any verse other than one. The strength of one verse in the Bible is sufficient to make God’s point!) However, God was pleased to incorporate these points and issues into many verses!

Yes, consider the following verses:
A1. Daniel 7:21 : I was watching (says Daniel); and the same pompous horn (horn: person of power) was making war against
the saints, and prevailing over them.

A2. Daniel 7:25 : [A king will arise], shall speak pompous words against the Most High, and will wear out the saints. […] and the saints will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time
(3 ½ years).

A3. Daniel 8:22* : [A king shall arise … his power will be great, but not by his own power] … he shall destroy the mighty men and the people who are the saints.

*Note: Some students and teachers think that the Daniel 8:22 scripture refers to an earlier king around 175BC, before Christ came. But within the context of the verse, it says “the vision is for the time of the end”, “this will happen in the latter time of the indignation”, “for it refers to the time of the end”, “And in the latter time of their kingdom”, and finally “…seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future”

A4. Daniel 12:7b …this shall be for a time, times, and half a time (3 ½ years), and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, then all these things will be finished.

A5. Matthew 24:21-22 For then there shall be [a] great tribulation, such has never been until this time, nor shall every be afterwards. And unless those days were shortened, no human life would be saved; but for the sake of the elect (the saints, the believers) those days will be shortened.

Do we find any other verses in the Bible that tell us that the antichrist will have power and authority over the whole earth?

Yes, consider these verses:
B1. Daniel 7:23 : The fourth beast (dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong) will be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the [other] kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down, and breaking it into pieces.

B2. Daniel 11:36 : Then the king shall do as he pleases. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods.

B3. Revelation 13:8 : All who dwell on the earth will worship him, those whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.

Can we find verses in the Bible that tell us that the saints ultimately end up being rewarded the kingdom?

Yes, consider these verses:
C1. Daniel 7:18 : But the saints of the most High shall receive the kingdom, and will possess the kingdom forever, for ever and ever.

C2. Daniel 7:22 : [and] the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

C3. Daniel 7:26-27 [But the court will take away his (antichrist’s) dominion] then the kingdom and the dominion and their greatness will be given to the people, the saints of the most high God.

C4. Daniel 12:13 : But go your way until the end. And you shall rest, and shall arise to receive your allotted inheritance at the end of the days.

C5. Revelation 11:18 : [The time has come] for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.

Look all these verses up in your Bible. In some of them the context will be more obvious than in others. In some passages, it takes a lot of reading to understand the context. But in the case of Daniel, the questionable passages are sometimes explained within the context.

But the only goals I have for this single verse (Rev 13:7) is understanding that:
A. The antichrist will be allowed to make war against the saints and to conquer them, and
B. The antichrist will have authority over the whole earth: every tribe, people, language, and nation, but
C. Eventually the saints will receive the kingdom, and will possess it forever!

Next lesson: Part 5. Rev 13:8-10 The Reign of the Antichrist
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77. New Trailer on "2012" Movie

2009-10-01T21:55:00.000-07:00

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Summary: the surface of the earth is destroyed, messily, bloodily,
but yet man retains his hope in himself and his computer generated graphic effects (graphic would have double meaning):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz86TsGx3fc

Can you come up with a better summary in one sentence? Post it in comments.

And a question: Will the Great Tribulation as described in many Bible passages but mostly in Revelation, be much different than this until Christ returns in his glorious, victorious, appearing?
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76. Earthquakes. Are they getting your attention?

2009-10-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

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Incredibly, some will say that "there are not more earthquakes, it's just that global news makes them seen so frequent". While there may be an element of truth in this, in reality, the earthquakes are much more frequent than they were 10 years ago, and 10 years ago they were more frequent than 25 years before that. Many universities have seismic departments that confirm this finding.

Or this one: "We are better able to detect them now, so we are catching more of them." Again, there is a bit of truth here. But we've been able to detect earthquakes for 80 years or so, and particularly in the last 20 years. And the number of earthquakes of measurable size have often doubled per given area, and in some areas, they are also getting worse.

I've addressed the subject of earthquakes before, in post #31, and there I posted all seven of the Bible passages that mention earthquakes in the end times, and discussed them. Break out your Bibles and check them out. Here's the link: Link to post #31.

Any comments? Your opinion about earthquakes and the Bible? Feel free to post them here, I usually get back with you within 12 hours.
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75. 2012 is Coming! In more ways than one.

2009-10-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

The year, the movie, and the book.

Here is my first book recommendation on The Future History blogsite:
"2012, The Bible, and the End of the World"
by Mark Hitchcock, Harvest House Publishers, 2009

This book is hot off the press within the last two weeks, and the main subject is the proposed date of December 21st, 2012 for the end of the world (or at least the end of society as we know it) ((or a massive change for the better, a new kind of world consciousness, a new golden age, or other ?wonderful? things.))

This date was also the topic of my post #8, "Dec 21, 2012 (or Dec 12, 2012)" . See that post (click on link) for preliminary information about understanding what we are discussing here.

The big budget film "2012" is supposed to hit the theaters in November 13, 2009 or thereabouts. The film takes the position that the Dec 21, 2012 date will mark the time of Armageddon and the end of the world as we know it. (Followup: And the film did debut on Nov 13 '09, and was mildly popular) (See my reviews at Post #96 & Post #97))

Here is what the back cover of the book says:
The ancient Mayans were expert astronomers, and their advanced calendar cycles end on December 21, 2012. This has spurred worldwide speculation that this date will be a catastophic day of apocalypse for the entire globe. The doomsday scenarios include destructive solar storms, massive earthquakes, a polar shift of the earth's magnetic fields, and total annihilation.

Missing from all the furor is a biblical perspective. Bestselling author and prophecy expert Mark Hitchcock -- whose books have sold over 500,000 copies -- examines the following questions:
** Why December 21, 2012?
** Can we trust the Mayan alarm clock?
** Does the Bible say anything about 2012?
** What signs will tell us that Armageddon is near?

This book provides a fascinating survey of both the historical past and the prophetic future.

Here's the Amazon link: click here for a look at the book. There are two reader reviews there that give it a poor rating for its reading level. I would say that it is written for the person who knows hardly anything about the issues revolving around 2012, both secular and biblical. I may eventually post an review on Amazon -- preliminarily a four-star out of five.

I would add as a personal observation, having read a number of Mark Hitchcock's books, that Mark doesn't go for the sensational, unless called for by the Biblical text (which sometimes is quite sensational by itself). Instead, he tries to de-sensationalize what is floating out there among the people. For that reason, I also recommend his recent book "The Late Great United States: What Bible Prophecy Reveals about America's Last Days" which also can be found on the same Amazon link above.
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74. Why I don't capitalize 'antichrist'.

2009-09-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

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Actually, in the early weeks of the blog, I did capitalize it for a while, inconsistently though. But I eventually grew to feel that I did not want to give the antichrist any idea that his name (or better, 'title') was worthy of being capitalized.

God is worthy of being capitalized, Jesus Christ the Son is worthy, and the Holy Spirit is worthy. The holy angels such as Michael and Gabriel are worthy, and the saints that have gone before us like Peter, John, and Paul are worthy of being capitalized.

But the antichrist is not worthy. My refusal to use the capital A is one small way of demeaning him, making him in print as worthless as he actually is, or perhaps, will be.

But now I admit myself to be inconsistant, in that I still tend to capitalize Satan, the devil. I'm going to have to watch out for that. I'll probably never have the time to go back and redo months of blogposts, so I probably won't, but watch for me to be more consistent here regarding the Unholy Trinity (I mean unholy trinity), that devil satan, the antichrist, and the false prophet.

Ha! I reduce you satan. I marginalize you, antichrist. I consider you as nothing, false prophet. And if you are not on the scene now, you can read this once you appear.

But even then I wonder about typing so many words, about such a little person...
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73. Antichrist NOT from Europe? From Mideast instead?

2009-09-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Q - Have we been wrong all along?
A - Not necessarily...

For centuries, it has been speculated by premill-oriented writers and teachers that the antichrist will rise out of the 'Revived Roman Empire', which currently occupies most of what we know as Europe. This belief was particularly prevalent when the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church was considered the most likely prospect for being the antichrist (particularly in the 1500's and 1600's), but has been in the ascendancy again since the time of Darby's volume of work in the early and mid 1800's.

Those who hold the premill/pretrib position (such as myself), can thank almost every popular prophecy writer and speaker, such as Hal Lindsay, Tim Lahaye, John Walvoord, and Dwight Pentecost for bringing the 'Revived Roman Empire' viewpoint to the person in the church pew. Indeed, no other viewpoint has been given any credence among premill/pretribbers in the last 50 years or so.

But recently, due to to the research of Joel Richardson and others, a body of documentation is building up that aims to show that the antichrist may instead arise out of the middle east -- meaning out of such countries as Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the other Arabian peninsula countries. (I would mention that all these countries are Arab countries, except for Iran, which is Persian).

Two books written by Joel Richardson particularly explain and promote the 'antichrist from middle east' view:

"AntiChrist : Islam's Awaited Messiah" from Pleasant Word, a division of Winepress Publishing, 2006, and

"The Islamic AntiChrist, The Shocking Truth about the Real Nature of the Beast" from WND Books, A WorldNetDaily company, 2009

I say "two books", but the small print on the later 2009 book, shows that it is a reworking of the earlier 2006 book, with five new chapters, more documentation, and many more recommendations listed on the opening pages (but not from Hal Lindsay or Tim Lahaye). So don't buy both, just buy the later one.

It is clear that Richardson has done his homework, and his major thesis is this: that the supposed words of Muhammad in the Koran (Qur'an) and in later compiled works such at the Hadith literature, coincide amazingly with what the Bible says about the end times; and that they may do so in order that there will be no excuse in the Islamic countries for not knowing what God has said and shown in the Bible about the last days. In other words, based on their scriptures, muslims are expecting end time events very much like what the Bible says, but they interpret the events and persons incorrectly, believing that their glorious and victorious Mahdi (their coming 'messiah', a.k.a. the 12th Imam) will bring Jesus the prophet back with him when the Mahdi comes to rule the world. It will eventually be known that their Mahdi was not 'their messiah', and that their prophet was not Jesus nor remotely like him.

I am only writing this to call to your attention that this viewpoint is arising, and you deserve to know that this theory is out there, but that it is generally not accepted by most premill/pretribbers. My guess is they are still investigating and analyzing the material. I expect that there will be some anti-Richardson books soon, written to show why they think that this new viewpoint is neither credible or plausible.

I cannot speak to the issue of credibility yet, because I am only about 1/5th through the book. I will say that it looks like there is a lot of documentation, which includes 60 pages of separate appendices and source material, besides what is in the 220 pages (and 23 chapters) of the main body of the book itself. It appears that the first part of the book presents the Islamic position, and that the last half presents how this corresponds with what is in the Bible.

That's all I have to say for now -- obviously, I'll be blogging on this issue as I study more about it.

(NOTE: Do not confuse Joel Richardson with Joel Rosenberg, the author of "Epicenter", "The Last Jihad",
and other books.)
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72. Where have I been? Wife's surgery.

2009-09-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

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As you've likely noticed, I haven't posted much here in the last ten days, because we were preparing for my wife Jeannine's surgery on Monday 9/21, having it, and then dealing with post-surgery issues.

The good news is that her surgery was semi-elective, not at all related to either (1) her two cancer incidents in the 80's & 90's from which she is completely recovered, or (2) her accidental doctor-caused esophagus puncture almost two years ago that put her in the hospital for 45 days.

Here's the story. Picture Jeannine walking due south. Then observe that although her right foot is pointing south she has (now had) three toes that were pointing due southwest, and a big toe whose toenail was not attached to her toe like normal, but rather attached to a bone inside her toe. They broke her three toes, moved them into alignment, and screwed them in place with a pin. Then they lasered off her big toenail. Ooo-ouch!

So it took us a few days before the surgery to prepare for a non-operational Jeannine and a double-operational Larry, who, fortunately, knows how to cook, clean, and feed the cat. Then we spent 1/2 day at the surgery center, and now we are in the 5th day since the surgery.

Here are a couple of issues you can pray for us: (1) Jeannine's right foot (driving foot) needs to be pain-free by the time that I (Larry) am going to also have semi-elective surgery, on Oct 15th. At her current rate of pain reduction, we won't make it, and we'll have to go with plan B. And (2) I was able to take a few days off work, but I'll have to be back full time next week. Pray that Jeannine will be able to do the things she needs to do around the house. She does a little bit more every day, but is still operating on fairly high doses of pain killers.

I do have a couple of issues for the blog that I should be able to post fairly quickly, not like the Revelation lessons that take hours of study. Those two issues should be posted over the weekend. And MAYBE, the next Revelation 13 lesson.
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71. Revelation 13 - Bible Study - Part 4A

2009-09-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

Rev 13:5-7 : The Antichrist exercises his power
A GUIDED BIBLE STUDY OF REVELATION 13

Part 1. Literal vs. Symbolic in Revelation 12 (Post #64 Link)
Part 2. Rev 13:1-2 : Introduction to the Antichrist (Post #66 Link)
Part 3. Rev:13:3-4 Satan empowers the Antichrist (Post #67 Link)
==> Part 4A. Rev 13:5-7 The Antichrist exercises his power
Part 4B. Rev 13:5-7 The Antichrist exercises his power
Part 5. Rev 13: 8-10 The Reign of the Antichrist
Part 6. Rev 13:11-13 Another beast: The False Prophet
Part 7. Rev 13:14-15 The Image of the beast
Part 8. Rev 13:16-18 The Mark of the Beast

Overview of Part 4A:
1. The Biblical Text of the Passage
2. An Expanded Version of the Text
3. The Explanation

1. The Biblical Text of the Passage (this lesson in bold)

13: 4 So they worshiped the dragon, for he had given authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?”
5 And the beast was given a mouth speaking insolent words and blasphemies, and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name, and his dwelling place, and those who dwell in heaven. 7. It was granted to him to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.

2. An Expanded Version of the Text (this lesson in bold)

13: 4 So they worshiped the dragon (Satan), for he had given authority to the beast (a.k.a. the antichrist), and they (also) worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?”
5 And the beast was given a mouth speaking insolent (proud, haughty) words and blasphemies (words against God), and [he was allowed] to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He (or, it* {where appropriate}) opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander (blaspheme) his name, and his dwelling place (his tabernacle), and those who dwell in heaven. 7. [Also,] he was given power (was allowed) to make war against the saints and to conquer (overcome) them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.

*in referring to the beast, some versions say "it" instead of "he".

3. The Explanation

At the end of the previous lesson (part 3), we saw that the last verse, verse Rev 13:4, told us from whom the antichrist (the beast) receives his power and authority: from Satan himself:

4 So they worshiped the dragon, for he had given authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?”

In our second lesson, we saw that in verse Rev 13:2, it says that the antichrist had a mouth like a lion. That means many things, but one thing is for certain: that the Satanically empowered antichrist does not have to ask anyone for permission to speak, nor to receive counsel on what to say. The antichrist will clearly say what he wants to, and most of what he says falls into the categories of:

(1) insolent, arrogant, proud, haughty, pompous, flattering and destructive words, and
(2) words against God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), words against the very name of God, against the place where God dwells (in the highest heaven), and even against those who dwell with God in heaven, and
(3) lying and deceiving words, about who he (the antichrist) is, and what he (the antichrist) will do. If the antichrist is not lying about himself, he will be lying about God.

It may be that he will start out his rise to power primarily with words, but will move to actions as the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation unfold. This was the way it was with Adolf Hitler. He gave lots of economic and political speeches at the start, and also did much “motivational speaking" (from the pit of hell), but Hitler’s first action failed and he was thrown into prison (more like protective custody in an apartment). And soon thereafter, the works of darkness came gushing forth. This is not an unusual pattern. After a small failure, great victory.

So, it may be also, that in the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation, we may see some failures in the actions of the antichrist – but scripture says in 13:4b :

and [he was allowed] to exercise his authority for forty-two months.

I have written elsewhere that there are seven passages in scripture where it mentions the 42 months, (which is the same as) 3 ½ years, (which is the same as) 1260 days. My position is that in ALL seven passages, the events mentioned refer to the second 3 ½ years, the second half of the tribulation, also known as the Great Tribulation. This is when the antichrist will be permitted to exercise this power and authority that he has received from Satan himself.

When will the antichrist actually come upon the scene? Will it be at the midpoint of the tribulation? Or will it be at the start of the tribulation? Or will it be at the rapture of the church, when the church is snatched away from the earth to meet the Lord Jesus in the air (see 1 Thess 4:13-18)? Or will it be even earlier, possibly even in our present time?

The world will definitely be aware of the antichrist before the midpoint of the tribulation. And here is why: Chapter 6 of the book of Revelation is considered by almost all students and teachers of the word to be at the very start of the tribulation. There the event that opens Chapter 6 is when the Lamb (the Lord Jesus) opens the first of the seven seals (the first of many judgments occurring in the book of Revelation).

When that first seal is opened, scripture says:

“Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder “COME!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.”

Now who is this rider, and how is he conquering?

In a future post, I will discuss all the reasons why this rider on a white horse is not the rider on the white horse in Rev 19:11, where it says “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! And he who sat on him was called faithful and true. And in righteousness he judges and makes war”. It is clear from the context that this rider is Jesus, coming back in great splendor and glory to put all enemies under his feet, and to prepare the world for the start of his 1000 year reign.

The main reason above all reasons that the rider in Rev chapter 6 is not Jesus, but rather the antichrist, is because of those three other riders who immediately follows him in his wake: three more horses bringing death and destruction, and the rider of the second horse is specifically given power to “take peace from the earth, and to make men slay each other. And he was given a great sword.”

It is generally believed that the tribulation in chapters 6 through 19 is mostly chronological, with periodic parenthetical sections (see my outline of Revelation at post #23)

So, this second rider who will take peace from the earth, will come soon after the first rider, maybe only months, or weeks, or days, after the first rider. So how did the first rider “conquer”? He must have conquered with peace! Nations and peoples must have been convinced to join some sort of world alliance promoted by the antichrist in bringing peace to the earth.

There is another event that is also generally considered to be at the opening of the tribulation, brought about by the antichrist (which is a second reason why the first rider is most likely the antichrist) – and that event is the signing of a 7-year peace treaty between Israel and her enemies, OR, between Israel and the antichrist, acting as Israel’s protector.

The event that marks the mid-point, the 3 ½ year point, is when antichrist breaks that peace treaty, and sells Israel out to its enemies. But if you’ve been reading here all along, you know that Israel is miraculously rescued, and whisked away to a place of protection in a wilderness location for 1260 days (3 ½ years).

The verses in bold at the start of this lesson, speak primarily of the last 3 ½ years, where he will speak against God and the things of God horribly, and, as it says in verse 13:7, “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to conquer them.”

Saints? Who are these saints? By way of reminder, according to the premillennial, pre-trib position, all the church was taken up to be with God sometime before the start of the seven-year tribulation. So, as this viewpoint goes, there are no Christian believers left on the earth immediately after the rapture. But when the rapture occured, there were likely many who were weeks, and days, and hours (and minutes?!) away from making a decision to believe in Jesus; and now these people are easily convinced. And so, shortly after the rapture a new set of believers emerge, the saints of the tribulation.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I am cutting off the lesson here (as Part 4A.), so we can consider what I have said to this point, and will complete the lesson (Part 4B.) soon. We'll learn more about these tribulation "saints", and more about the condition of all the other people in the world, those who are convinced to follow the antichrist.

Please post your comments and questions about the studies.

Next lesson:
Part 4B. Rev 13:5-7 The Antichrist exercises his power (Post #78 Link)
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70. Rainbows, Balloons, Cherubs, and Scenery

2009-09-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

and Bouquets, Smiley Faces, and Leprechauns.

Yes, these things do seem to be lacking from my blog, along with photos, videos, and other magical tech stuff. Part of the reason is that I'm not very good yet with digital photos and videos (although I did finally manage to get my own photo here). However, I am going to eventually change the current photo for one that doesn't make me look like I'm 10 years older than I really am, says my wife. (Photo finally changed in March '10)

But there's a second reason, and that is that so many sites do photos and videos and rainbows so well. I've listed some as my favorite other blogsites in the left hand column. The "Bible Prophecy Today" site is the one that does all these things well, and is an excellent original source of prophecy articles on the web -- although articles come so fast I don't have time to read them all. "Last Trumpet Living" is an excellent secondary source for all that is going on that is related to the prophetic, plus original posts about how to live (and improve) your life in Christ. "Visualcy" is a cultural analysis plus the lighter side of life (and the important things of life) from a long time friend.

But the main reason that none of the listed items in the title appear in The Future History blog, is that I am committed to concentrating on the Bible and what it teaches about the end-times, with a minimum of posts about current events. The other blogs are doing that so well, that they don't need duplication.

It is my goal to have Bible, Bible, Bible here until Christ comes again!
I know you all are reading the blog, because I see the visitor count go up. But I would like to have some more incoming comments so I could comment back. Hint, hint.

Maranatha!
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69. Jesus' Second Coming (& Third Coming?!?)

2009-09-14T19:48:00.000-07:00

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The view held by the writer of this blog is best called premillenial, meaning that Jesus is going to return before the millenium (1000 year reign of Christ), AND, pretribulational meaning that Jesus is also going to come back for his church before the 7-year tribulation.

So, lets see. We have Jesus coming for his church before the tribulation period, and we have Jesus coming after the tribulation, before the millennium. So, since he came the first time 2000 plus years ago, don't we have three comings?

First, 2000 plus years ago,
Second, before the 7-year tribulation, and
Third, after the tribulation, during the battle of Armageddon, right before the millennium.

It might seem like there are three 'comings', but every premillenialist that I know of, counts these as two comings:
First, 2000 plus years ago, and
Second, at the end of the age, and all that it encompasses.
Here is a list of some writers, pastors, and scholars who believe this in Post #56. See the question "Who holds this view?"

The coming of Jesus for his church (popularly called the rapture), the tribulation period, the battle of Armageddon, and his glorious appearing to bring this age to an end, are all part of his second coming (covering 7+ years); just as his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension (which covered approximately 33 years) were all part of his first coming.

Is there anything holding him back from coming today? Not that I can find, except (and it's my personal opinion) I do not consider that things in the world are bad enough yet. I find that the church will probably be under attack much more from the forces of darkness than it is now.

I would refer you to my post #2 "Future Events cast their shadows backwards", where I suggest that some of the major events that are going to happen 2 years, 5 years, or even 10 years in the future are beginning to sprout up even now -- although the seedlings may seem very insignificant at this moment. Hardly enough to be concerned about, or so it would seem -- but these seedlings need to be watched for unnaturally swift growth.

Even though it MAY be years before these events happen, we should try to live our lives with this standard (among others):

PERHAPS he could come TODAY!

Look up, for our redemption may be drawing near.
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68. Has the Future already happened?

2009-09-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

Yet another view of the Bible's endtimes passages.

So far, on the Future History website, we've discussed various views about the end-times such as pre-mill, post-mill, a-mill; pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, and pre-wrath. The posts on these subjects are listed here:
39. The Thousand Year period - Part 1 of 2
40. The Thousand Year period - Part 2 of 2
49. The Rapture. What, where, and when?
51. When will the Rapture happen...in relation to the tribulation?
52. The 3 1/2 year Great Tribulation

You can review these if you want, by clicking on each link (each post above is a link) which should open a new window, and after reading you'll return here by closing the new window.
Alternatively, if a new window does not open, just do a back arrow on this window.

There is another view or position concerning the end-times passages that I mentioned earlier on post #40, but did not specifically name. It is called Preterism, and its adherants generally maintain that most of the Bible passages that people usually take as still to be fulfilled in the future, were actually fulfilled when the Roman General Titus destroyed Jerusalem, the temple, and almost all the Jews, in a three-year campaign which ended in A.D. 70. The Preterists say this pertains particularly to those passages in Matthew, Mark, and Luke in Jesus' sermon on the Mount of Olives, which speak of the destruction of the temple, and of Jesus' return.

Regarding the "second-coming" itself, the Preterist position is that Jesus did come again in 70 A.D., and that he came in judgment of Israel and of the Jews who still stubbornly refused to believe in Jesus as Messiah, and who persecuted the church of Jesus. Preterists believe that this was Israel's last chance, and since that time, there has been no future for Israel as far as God is concerned.

There are variations within Preterism concerning which "second-coming" passages are still to be fulfilled in the future. No Preterist that I can find thinks that most such passages are still to be fulfilled, although a few think that many are still future. Overall, most think that only a few passages are still future, and another group (smallest of all) think that all "second-coming" passages have already been fulfilled, and that there are no more "second-coming" passages yet to be fulfilled. Needless to say, this latter view is a extreme and radical position. Adherants to this extreme position are called either "Full Preterists" or "Hyper-preterists".

This position about the last-days has surfaced from time to time in the history of the church, and usually can be included in the post- millennial camp. Recently, since the 1980's, a robust, vocal, and able subgroup of writers, teachers, and scholars have brought Preterism into a more visible, if not more respectable position. This group's viewpoint is known variously as dominion theology, christian reconstruction, or theonomy. We will have more to say about this subgroup within postmillennialism in a later post.

The purpose of this post is not to examine Preterism in detail, but rather just to advise of its existence. Hopefully, you have figured out that you cannot be both a Preterist and also a Premillennialist -- the latter being the position I take in this Future History blog.

Note that in Matthew 24:3, the disciples asked Jesus three questions: (1) "when will these things be (the destruction of Herod's temple)", (2) "what will be the sign of your coming",(3) "and of the end of the age". As premillennialists, we believe that questions 2 and 3 have application primarily about Jesus' coming "at the end of the age" which is still future. Question 1 is usually taken to relate to both (a) the time when the temple they are pointing at will be destroyed (pointing in 33 A.D., destroyed in 70 A.D.), and (b) Jesus' coming in the future when there will be a future temple to likewise be destroyed (obviously after 2009 A.D.) -- and therefore this is one of many "double-fulfillment" passages.

As for me, I have to reject the Preterist view, because it sounds too much like "The Future has already happened". We'll discuss Preterism more in later posts, and if questions or comments arise.
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67. Revelation 13 - Bible Study - Part 3

2009-09-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

Rev 13:3-4 : Satan Empowers the Antichrist
A GUIDED BIBLE STUDY OF REVELATION 13

Part 1. Literal vs. Symbolic in Revelation 12 (post 64 link)
Part 2. Rev 13:1-2 : Introduction to the Antichrist (post 66 link)
==> Part 3. Rev:13:3-4 Satan empowers the Antichrist
Part 4. Rev 13:5-7 The Antichrist exercises his power
Part 5. Rev 13: 8-10 The Reign of the Antichrist
Part 6. Rev 13:11-13 Another beast: The False Prophet
Part 7. Rev 13:14-15 The Image of the beast
Part 8. Rev 13:16-18 The Mark of the Beast

Overview of Part 3:
1. The Biblical Text of the Passage
2. An Expanded Version of the Text
3. The Explanation

1. The Biblical Text of the Passage (this lesson in bold)

13: 2 Now the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s feet, and its mouth was like that of a lion. And the dragon gave to the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon, for he had given authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?”

2. An Expanded Version of the Text (this lesson in bold)

13: 2 Now the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s feet, and its mouth was like that of a lion. And the dragon (the devil, Satan, the deceiver) gave to the beast his (the dragon’s) power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had (looked as if it had received) a fatal (mortal, deadly) wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. [Because of this] the whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon, for he had given authority to the beast, and they (also) worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?”

3. The Explanation

At the end of the previous lesson (part 2), we saw that the last half of verse 2 gives an astounding assertion:
“And the dragon gave to the beast his power and his throne and great authority.”

Satan, the great deceiver and tempter, has had his people throughout all of history. There have always been those whom the powers of darkness have empowered in some measure, some less and some more. The fellow who cheats at cards on the one hand, and Hitler, Stalin, and Mao Tse-tung on the other.

But as the card-cheater is small potatoes compared to Hitler,
so, incredibly, Hitler will be small potatoes compared to the antichrist. But how can that be, seeing Hitler killed millions of his own German people, and millions more in peaceful Europe in a insane desire to conquer the continent and then the world.

As much as Hitler was indwelt by the demonic, he still was not indwelt and empowered to the ultimate level by the leader of the dark forces, Satan, in the way that the antichrist will be.

And while Hitler controlled and subjugated Europe, he never had much of a chance of conquering the whole world. But there will be no such barrier against the antichrist. He will have full power, he will make the best of every opportunity, and as we shall see, sadly, he will succeed (for a time).

Especially when we consider the ‘opportunity’ we find in
verse 3: One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.

The enhanced expanded verse says this “One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had (looked as if it had received) a fatal (mortal, deadly) wound, but the fatal wound had been healed."

I have some concerns about the usual explanation about this verse, such as we find in such sources as Tim Lahaye’s “Prophecy Study Bible”, which says, “In the middle of the tribulation, the Antichrist will be killed, lie in state briefly, and then actually be indwelt personally by Satan.” He also uses this scenario in his Left Behind series. I have no trouble with the last part of the verse, about the antichrist being indwelt personally by Satan, the prince of demons, as I have made clear above. As we will see, my concern lies elsewhere.

In “Revelation Revealed” by Jack Van Impe, it similarly says, “The wounding of the beast is mentioned three times in this chapter – verses 3, 12, and 14. The wound produces death, but restoration to life follows.” and also, “A third possibility would be that the Antichrist is assassinated or killed midway through the Tribulation [period]. Such an event would give the great counterfeiter, Satan, the opportunity to perform a resurrection.”

Let's take a look at what the first part of verse 3 says again:
3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.

My two concerns both deal with the fact that the meaning of the verse is not agreed upon among premillennial, pretribulational writers, speakers, teachers, and pastors. Nor, interestingly, even by Tim Lahaye in another of his own writings (to be quoted below).

First, lets look at how various versions of the Bible translate the first part of the third verse (bold emphasis mine):
KJV: And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death.
NASB: And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain.
NIV: One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound.
NRSV: One of his heads seemed to have received a death blow.
NAB: I saw that one of its heads seemed to have been mortally wounded.
Amplified: And one of his heads seemed to have a deadly wound.
NKJV: And I saw one of its heads as if it had been mortally wounded.
NLT: I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery.
The [expanded] Bible: One of the heads of the beast looked as if it had been killed by a wound.

Do you see what my two concerns are?

Here is a good rule for Bible interpretation: We must first find out what the Bible SAYS, before we determine what it MEANS.

And we find in the Bible passage two things that should make us question whether the simple statement “the antichrist was killed” is the correct interpretation.

First, we have to go back to what the heads of the beast represent. It is generally agreed that they represent kings or leaders or kingdoms that come under the control and power of the beast. So when the beast goes where he may, the heads go with him. But who (or what) is wounded? It is one of the heads. This may mean that one of the kings was killed, rather than the antichrist/beast himself, or perhaps that a kingdom under the beast’s rule was conquered (if only for a time).

An alternative possibility in favor of the antichrist actually being killed, is that if you kill any of the seven heads, perhaps you kill the antichrist as well. The life of the antichrist is in the heads. Or, perhaps when the kingdom was conquered, the antichrist was killed. Anyway, this issue is far from being solved, or agreed upon.

Second, are we so sure that the head or the antichrist is really killed? What is all this about “AS IF it had been slain”; “SEEMED
to have a fatal (deadly, mortal) wound; “LOOKED AS IF it had
been killed” ?

This is very important, because those who believe that the antichrist is truly killed, usually attribute to Satan the power to raise the dead (at least in this one case). Note however, in the whole of chapter 13, it never says that Satan raised him up. Only that “his deadly wound was healed.”

Can the ruler of the dark spirits bring a dead person back to life? I am not convinced that he can. I AM convinced, however, that Satan is the father of lies, that he is known as The Deceiver, and that it says in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11, “The coming of the lawless one (antichrist) will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing … For this reason God sends them a strong delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” (Bold emphasis mine)

The apparent raising of the antichrist from the dead will be an amazing event, regardless of whether Satan manifests himself in some way to do it, or whether the antichrist himself does it, or whether the false prophet does it. But notice I said “apparent raising”.

I have serious doubts as to whether any of the unholy trinity can actually raise anyone from the dead. But that rather, they are experts in COUNTERFEIT miracles, DECEIVING the onlookers, which God makes even worse by sending the onlookers a powerful DELUSION so that they will BELIEVE THE LIE.

They can only COUNTERFEIT the death (seemed, as if), and they can only COUNTERFEIT the resurrection (seemed, as if), being masters only of delusion and deception.

Is this a position that only I hold? No. Many teachers hold this position, surprisingly including Tim Lahaye! Here is what he says in “The Popular Bible Prophecy Commentary” in contrast to what I quoted earlier from his writings:

“One of the beast’s heads, and not necessarily the beast himself, will receive a “fatal wound”. It is not stated definitely that the beast will die. It is questionable whether Satan has the power to restore to life one who is killed, even though his power is great. However, the whole world will be “amazed” and will follow after the beast [worshiping] because they will think a resurrection has taken place.”

Satan wants such a following, for he said in Isaiah 14:14,
“I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

So yes. Those that dwell on the earth (a term for unbelieving mankind) will apparently believe that the antichrist has actually been raised from the dead by the healing of his deadly wound. And that event will cause the whole world to go after him and worship him. Where they are supposed to marvel at Jesus, they will instead marvel at the beast. For the end of our study passage says,

“3b. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon (Satan), for he had given authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?”

And I would reply, no one, until the end of the tribulation period, when Jesus Christ will come and destroy the antichrist with merely a word from his mouth. (see Rev 19:19-20)

Next lesson:
Part 4A. The Antichrist Exercises his Power – Rev 13:5-7 (Post #71 Link)
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66. Revelation 13 - Bible Study - Part 2

2009-09-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

Rev 13:1-2 : Introduction to the Antichrist
A GUIDED BIBLE STUDY OF REVELATION 13

Part 1. Literal vs. Symbolic in Revelation 12 (Post 64 link)
==> Part 2. Rev 13:1-2 : Introduction to the Antichrist
Part 3. Rev:13:3-4 Satan empowers the Antichrist
Part 4. Rev 13:5-7 The Antichrist exercises his power
Part 5. Rev 13: 8-10 The Reign of the Antichrist
Part 6. Rev 13:11-13 Another beast: The False Prophet
Part 7. Rev 13:14-15 The Image of the beast
Part 8. Rev 13:16-18 The Mark of the Beast

Overview of Part 2:
1. The Biblical Text of the Passage
2. An Expanded Version of the Text
3. The Explanation

1. The Biblical Text of the Passage
(this lesson in bold type)

13:1 (And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.*)

And I saw a beast rising out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.
2 Now the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s feet, and its mouth was like that of a lion. And the dragon gave to the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon, for he had given authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?”

*in some versions this is the last verse (12:17) in the previous chapter.

2. An Expanded Version of the Text
(this lesson in bold type)

13:1 (And the dragon [or I] stood on the shore of the sea.*)

And I saw a beast (a.k.a. antichrist) rising out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns (diadems, crowns of royalty) on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name (written against God). 2 Now the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s feet, and its mouth was like that of a lion. And the dragon (the devil, Satan, the deceiver) gave to the beast his (Satan's) power and his throne and great authority.
3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal (mortal) wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. [Because of this] the whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon, for he had given authority to the beast, and they (also) worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war against him?”

*in some versions this is the last verse (12:17) in the previous chapter.

3. The Explanation

One of the first things one notices after reading this four-verse section of scripture is that the word ‘antichrist’ is not used. In a later post we will discuss where the word ‘antichrist’ is used (only in the letters of John), and how and why so many other passages seem to be linked to the antichrist without that word actually being in the passage.

The fact is, ‘the antichrist’ is simply the most popular name for this evil person – he is both anti-god and antichrist – but here in Revelation, he is called the beast. In other Bible passages he is also called (in no particular order): (1) the man of sin, the man of evil, (2) the lawless one, (3) the son of destruction, (4) the rider on the white horse of Rev 6, (5) the insolent king, skilled in intrigue, (6) the willful king, (7) the little horn that grows exceedingly large, (8) the prince who is to come, (9) the desolater (the one who makes desolate), (10) the defiler, the desecrator, (11) the one who exalts himself as God. These are the best known names, and there are still more names to be mentioned and considered in future posts.

You will have noticed the footnoted verse, the first one in the text, where it says “And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea”. In some translations that verse is at the end of the previous chapter, verse Rev 12:17. This is because the chapter and verse numbers were added long after the bible was completed. The chapter numbers were added in 1205 A.D., and the verse numbers in 1551 A.D.., and Bible scholars have not agreed on which side of the chapter ending this short passage should be.

And there is a second controversy about this verse. Some versions say “And I stood on the shore of the sea”, the ‘I’ being John the writer, rather than the dragon. But don’t let that bother you; either one works, since they were both just talked about in Chapter 12.

==> You may want to print off this lesson at this point, since we will be referring to the text of the verse, or even better, select the Bible of your choice. Or both!

To print this lesson, click on the post title (where it says 66. Revelation 13...) which isolates this lesson, then print.

Notice in verse 1 that the beast – the antichrist – rises out of the sea. The sea in scripture is sometimes used symbolically, and this is one of those places. Elsewhere in scripture it says that the ‘sea’ stands for the teeming masses of people of the earth, the chaotic population of the world. By this we understand that the antichrist does not rise up through royalty, nor as a leader of men, but out of the people, starting as a common man, rising unexpectedly -- as Hitler did. It may also mean that he will be a Gentile and not a Jew.

The ten horns of the beast symbolically stand for the antichrist’s power and authority. While he may start out as common, at the appropriate time he is given great power and authority. The seven heads may be symbolic of seven leaders who are allied with him at the start, but end up following him as the power of the antichrist grows. (Daniel will have more to say about this)

It is even possible that he may start out claiming to be a friend of ‘religion’, maybe even of God. But as he gains power (perhaps even before the start of the tribulation) more and more he will let his true colors be shown, as he devises ways in his heart to become greater than God. The true and living God – the one who really exists -- will have no place in antichrist’s plan, and the beast and his leaders will blaspheme God by the words they will say about him, and by the names they will call him.

In verse 2, a further description of the antichrist is given. And again, these three animals are mentioned as symbols, but are not only symbols, since they point to something real and literal about the antichrist. The antichrist, the beast, is “like a leopard”. The leopard is used in scripture to portray the kingdom of Greece under Alexander the Great (Daniel 7:6). Alexander was the most swift of all the conquerors, breathtaking in his speed, and the beast will do likewise as he conquers the whole world (Rev 13:8) in an unexpectedly short time (which may coincide with the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation)

The beast also has feet like a bear, which is the animal used to portray the dual kingdom of Medo-Persia (Daniel 7:5), a fierce and ferocious foe that moved slowly but surely, lumbering from conquest to conquest. A bear’s mind and purpose is not easily changed, and is perhaps used here to show the certainty of the antichrist’s conquests.

The final animal mentioned is the lion, where the antichrist has the mouth of a lion. This is the first beast mentioned in the Daniel passage (Daniel 7:4). A lion is known for his strength, his grandeur, his royalty, his fierce roar leading to action. The lion in Daniel portrays the Babylonian kingdom, first of Nebuchadnezzar, and subsequently of his offspring, the greatest kingdom of its time.

The antichrist beast will have a mouth like a lion that will:
(1) boast of great things, speaking arrogant and pompous words,
(2) speak against God the Father, against his Name, and against his throne (the place where God dwells),
(3) claim that Jesus did not really come in the flesh,
(4) proclaim that he himself is deity (God),
(5) announce peace at the beginning of his reign, but will eventually,
(6) endorse bringing war and annihilation upon the whole earth,
(7) corrupt many by flattery.
And he will say much more!

And the last half of verse 2 gives an astounding assertion:
“And the dragon (Satan) gave to the beast his (Satan's) power and his throne and great authority.”

In 2 Chronicles 16:9, it says of God: “For the eyes of the LORD look back and forth throughout the whole earth, so He may show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” The Lord God is looking for people who will be loyal and devoted to him, so he can work mighty things in and through them.

And so it is and has always been the same with Satan, the tempter, the deceiver, as he searches the hearts of men to know who will honor and obey him. Such men as Hitler, Stalin, and Idi Amin of Uganda come to mind from the century that recently ended.

Nevertheless, these three men and their deeds are poor comparisons to the beast that is the antichrist. Tens of millions died under the 20th century three. Under the reign of the antichrist, hundreds of millions, if not billions, will die because of his actions. And it is because Satan does a new thing in verse 2: he gives to the antichrist Satan’s own power and throne, and great authority.

In the gospels of Matthew and Mark, it says that: “For then there will be (a) great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be. And unless the Lord had shortened those days (the days of the tribulation), there would be no one left alive.”

In Daniel 12:1, it says very much in context: "...And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time..."

This is how bad it will be when the antichrist takes his throne, apparently happening at the midpoint of the tribulation period.

Next Lesson:
Part 3. Rev:13:3-4 Satan empowers the Antichrist (Post #67 Link)
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65. Q - What Version of the Bible do I use...

2009-09-01T20:52:00.001-07:00

...when I print biblical text in a post?

First, I would call your attention to post #20 called "Open Your Bibles -- But Which One?" where I have addressed the issue of what I consider the best versions/translations of the Bible. The four that I like the best will appear again below.

For accurate bible study, for me or you the reader, the version/translation used should be as literal as possible, and as understandable as necessary. I have binders set up with almost all the Bible Prophecy passages with three versions in three columns: The ESV, the NASB, and the NIV. Also, I rely upon the NKJV. Click on the post #20 link above, for more information about each.

But here, let me say that I can grade these in order of literalness as:
1. NASB - 98% - a very literal word-for-word translation produced by a small group of people.
2. NKJV - 95% - not so much a translation, but a reworking and rewording of the original KJV to bring it up to current language use.
3. ESV - 90% - attempts to be as literal as possible, but as flowing as necessary. This version attempts to avoid the woodenness that some people find in the NASB & NKJV.

and 4. NIV - 75% - does not attempt to be literal, but attempts to be accurate in this sense: that the sentences and phrases in the NIV may better express what the human writer wanted to say than a literal word-for-word translation. I use this version to sometimes help me determine a better word or group of words. The NIV is the most popular version of the Bible, and is much more accurate than many of the newer lesser known versions.

(Note: I believe the Bible to be the very word of God, written through fallable men, but not incorporating any of the fallenness of man. I also believe that the personality of the biblical writers is not submerged by the will of God, but instead comes out in full fruition. Peter writes much differently than Paul, who writes much differently than John, and so on. But what they have written is exactly what God chose to have written. Over time, differences between the ancient manuscripts have occured, but these differences occupy less than 1% of the bible, and they do not change any major doctrine the least little bit.)

Now the answer to the post subject question: Rarely do I use any single version/translation in the blogpost. More often, I start out with one version, and select better words from the other versions, and on occasion, better phrases. But in all cases, the words that I use have been approved by some Bible translation group in recent years. I have done this with the classes I have taught for some 30 years.

And I always recommend using more than one version for Bible study.

Did I make my answer clear? If not, write a comment and ask for a replay.
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64. Revelation 13 - Bible Study - Part 1

2009-08-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

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A GUIDED BIBLE STUDY OF REVELATION 13

Part 1 - Preparatory: Symbolic? Literal?
What's the difference? And which is best?

This is the first guided Bible study** on this blog, and I have selected Revelation 13 because it is a particularly important and interesting chapter, which we can use as an anchor for the chapters both preceding and following. (**This means go get your Bible and open it)

One of the reasons that Bible readers often stop when they get to Revelation, is because of the great use of symbols which start immediately in Chapter One, and often the reader doesn't know whether to take a word or phrase literally or symbolically. For example, in Rev 1:7 it says about Jesus, "Behold he is coming with clouds...". So should the word 'clouds' be taken literally (real clouds) or symbolically, where the word 'clouds' stands for something else, like a cloud of people or angels (or both) returning with Jesus?

We must answer this question first: "Should the Bible be read literally or symbolically?"

The answer is ... YES! The Bible should be read literally when called for, and symbolically when called for. But keep this in mind: more often than not, the symbol stands for something literal, and we are called to determine what the symbol stands for. Sometimes that is difficult, and sometimes it is easy -- like when the interpretation of the symbol is written somewhere nearby in the Bible text.

To understand what two important symbols mean in chapter 13, we are going to have to slip backwards and look at chapter 12, where we have an illustration of an easily understood interpretation of a symbol, and a more difficult one.

First, the difficult one:

12:1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth... 4b. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour the child as soon as it was born. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, where she is to be taken care of for 1,260 days.

Who is this woman? It is not universally agreed. We must use the text surrounding (the context) to help us determine this. The three most important clues are (1) this child was important enough that the dragon (identification yet to come) wanted to kill the child, (2) this woman gave birth to a male child who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and (3) her child was caught up to God and to his throne.

Does any of this sound familiar? Almost everyone agrees that this is speaking about Jesus, the baby and then the adult. (1) Certain leaders wanted Jesus killed at the very beginning of his life, (2) the one who is to "rule all nations with a rod of iron" is the Messiah, and (3) it was Jesus who was caught up to God and to his throne.

But what woman was it that gave birth to Jesus? The easy and quick answer is Mary, the mother of Jesus. This, I believe, is the position of the Roman Catholic church. But while Mary may fit some of the characteristics of the woman, she does not seem to fit the last part, where the "woman" flees into the wilderness, the desert, where she is taken care of and nourished for 1,260 days. Elsewhere in this blog I have endeavored to show that the 1,260 days mentioned here seems to be a real period of time, the last 3 1/2 years of the Great Tribulation. That being so, Mary does not fit.

Another possibility is that the woman is the church. There is a sense that the church can be considered to have started when Israel began as a nation, and Israel in one verse is called the church in the wilderness. In that sense, the church could be considered as having given birth to Jesus Christ. But this view is less 'popular', less favored than it was many years ago. In the usual sense of the word church, Jesus says "I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." In this sense, Jesus gave birth to the church, not the other way around.

And so, the general position of those who are premillennialists is that the woman is Israel. Israel gave birth to the Christ, who was eventually taken up to God and to His throne, and it is Israel herself that will flee into the wilderness during the Great Tribulation and receive protection by God.

But notice that we never could point to a verse that made it quite clear that the woman is a symbol for Israel. It just seemed to be the most reasonable -- and most favored -- conclusion.

And now, for the second symbol, whose activity is interwoven closely with the woman:

3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born.

Now we have a great red dragon to decode. We could guess about this, but with the great dragon we do not need to guess! All we need to do is look down a few verses, where it continues,

7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 But he was defeated, and there was no longer any place found for them in heaven. 9 So the great dragon was cast down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world -- he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

So in this case, we have scripture interpreting scripture, telling us that the dragon is literally Satan, the devil. While the dragon is truly a symbol, it still stands for something or someone literal, namely Satan.

The best principle of interpreting the Bible, is to interpret in the normal, usual sense of the language when it makes sense. And while something is obviously a symbol, it will normally stand for something literal: Israel, Satan, Jesus (a lamb, a lion), the cross (Christ's substitutionary death) and rarely will the symbol remain just a symbol and stay uninterpreted when the whole of scripture is taken into consideration.

So now, as we approach chapter 13, we have some general rules and guidelines to help us understand who is involved, and what is happening in this Bible passage.

Next Lesson:
Part 2. Rev 13:1-2 : Introduction to the Antichrist (Post #66 Link)

(And in subsequent posts, we will go back and look more closely at Chapter 12)
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63. The unholy trinity

2009-08-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

'
The Holy Trinity, discussed in post #62, existed from all eternity past, and were uncreated. There was never a time that the three members (or if you prefer, three persons) of the Holy Trinity did not exist.

In comparison, the unholy trinity (in lower case) are all created beings, and all three began their existence at a definite point in time
-- although the 'senior' member lived long before the other two members. And this is reason number one, why they are such a poor copy and substitute for the true and Holy Trinity.

Perhaps you never thought about the fact that the Bible mentions
an unholy trinity. A Bible search function like Bible Gateway would never find "unholy trinity" in the Bible. Nor would it find "Holy Trinity" for that matter, or even "Trinity". But the Holy Trinity (the three-in-one-God, who is not three Gods but one God), is there regardless, and the unholy trinity is there as well.

Who is the member of the unholy trinity that wanted to take the place of God, who planned and schemed before the creation to be like God? To be honored and worshiped as God? It is the deceiver, the devil, the schemer, Satan. He was the most beautiful of all the holy angels, who fell from his high estate, and was cast out of heaven to become (in God's peculiar plan) the prince of this world. And the prince of the power of the air he shall continue to be until Christ comes in glory the second time.

His plans and goals have not changed. Since he apparently cannot corrupt the holy angels any longer, the prince of darkness goes forth to corrupt and destroy the sons of the earth (unbelievers), and to deceive and weaken the sons of God (Christians, believers, the saints)

The second and third members of the unholy trinity will not come into play until the beginning of the tribulation in the last days, although they will surely be born before that time. They will grow up in advance of the tribulation, and likely in advance of the rapture of the saints. For these two members are human, born of mothers and fathers in the normal way, and perhaps not miraculously gifted until their time comes to go forth as arch-deceivers, and arch-enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the time for the return of Christ is near, then surely they are alive even now, though likely unknown.

The second member is revealed in scripture under many names:
the man of sin, the lawless one, the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, the little horn, the willful king, the prince who is to come, the one who makes desolate, the son of perdition, and is spoken of generally by the term 'antichrist'. The word antichrist means both against-Christ and in-place-of-Christ. He will function in both these two ways.

It is he who will desecrate the latter-day temple, and will set up himself as God, proclaiming that he is God, for he will be empowered and eventually indwelt by Satan himself. It is he who will pursue the Jews to the point of death, and when that plan fails, he will pursue those who have believed in Jesus (Christians) to the death. Descriptions of this person and his actions can be found in many places throughout the Bible. It is said of Jesus that He always does His Father's will, and it will be said of the antichrist that he always does the will of his father, the devil, Satan.

The third member of this unholy alliance is the false prophet, and he is found specifically only in the book of Revelation, and only in these verses: Primarily Rev 13:11-18; but also Rev 16:13; 19:20; 20:2; & 20:10. It is said of the Holy Spirit that he came not to reveal himself, but to reveal and glorify Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It will be said of the false prophet that he came not to reveal himself but to reveal and glorify the antichrist, the son of Satan, the son of destruction.

As the origin of the unholy trinity falls far short in every way when compared to the Holy Trinity, so the ending of the unholy trinity falls far short, as the three are all eventually cast into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, at the end of the age.

Very soon we will take a close look at Revelation 13, where the antichrist and false prophet are described in great detail, and back into Revelation 12, where we learn more about the dragon, that old serpent, the devil, Satan.
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62. The Holy Trinity

2009-08-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

'
Thirty years ago (or maybe more), I looked for all the passages in the Bible where all three of the members of the Holy Trinity were mentioned closely together -- either in the same verse, or in two verses together. There was, if I recall correctly, about fifteen. And since I am an accountant, and also a mathemetician and statistician, I found it particularly statistically interesting that all six of the possibilities of order among the members of the Trinity can be found in the scriptures.

Let me illustrate: If we use "F" for the Father, "S" for the Son, and "H" for the Holy Spirit, then the members of the Trinity can be listed in only six varying orders.

The most traditional for most of us is FSH (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). But there are also five more: FHS, SFH, SHF, HFS, HSF,
and no other.

So does this prove, for example, the inspiration of the Bible? No, probably not. And there might be a naturalness of having the three members of the Holy Trinity, or any two of them, to cluster together in the scripture. For example, we find this set of two more than once: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But here's the thing: It's a probability issue, which makes it at least a curiosity. If I took those three letters in my hand (F, S, H) and randomly cast them onto a table, statistically, it would normally take me from 50 to 75 times to successfully cast all of the six orders listed above. But in the scriptures, it is done in only about 15 passages.

So I conclude a truth which I hold lightly, not tightly, that God is telling us something in making all the possibilites appear in only 15 or so passages. And it is this: that there is an equality in the Godhead which is equally as true as the passages that show an order, i.e. that say that the Son always does what the Father tells him, and that the Holy Spirit has come to point to the Son.

So I am reminded that there surely is a divine order in the Trinity, whenever I see scripture mentioning the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit in order.

And I am reminded that there surely is a divine equality in the Trinity, whenever I see scripture mentioning any of the other orders of relationship.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above ye heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in any order, world without end, Amen.
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61. Ocean of Debt, America may default

2009-08-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

'
As I've said elsewhere, I have no intention of spending a lot of time discussing politics and economics since others do it so well. (See my post #47 about The Third Lens [with a tip of the hat to Joel Rosenberg] ) .

However, this linked article is very startling and important, since it puts America's true debt all on one page for once. America is obligated to pay more that the entire annual domestic production of the entire world!

I urge you to read it, and then to do whatever you can do to stem this alarming ocean of debt that will eventually drown America.

The article is called "Falling for the great lie"
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Printable.aspx?ArtId=35993

Please comment!
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60. Link to posting about timing of the rapture...

2009-08-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

... on the Last Trumpet Living site, which I
I recommend in my listing in the left hand column.

This comprehensive article discusses the difference between the pre-tribulational view (pre-trib), mid-trib, post-trib, and pre-wrath views of when Jesus is coming back to gather up/snatch up/rapture his church. Note that all the authors I referred to in an earlier post subscribe to the pre-tribulational view, as does Last Trumpet Living.

Here's the link: http://www.lasttrumpetliving.com/opinion/rapture-pre-tribulation/

I'll also have a post on the timing of the rapture among the next few posts.
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59. Daniel 11:31-36 about the Antichrist,

2009-08-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

and about the desecration of the temple,
and about the response of believers.

In Daniel 11:32, in the KJV we find this verse:

32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries; but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

This is a good example of a Bible passage that is barely understandable in the KJV. For example, what does it mean when it says that "those who know their God" should "do exploits"?

Interestingly, this passage is in the midst of a section considered
to be a description of the actions of the Antichrist of the last days.
If then, if those who become believers during the tribulation can be called upon to do certain things while enduring such persecution, martyrdom, chaos, and suffering, how much more should we be able to do them in our life of relative leisure.

Here are the surrounding verses, so we can pick up the context (Daniel 11:31-36):

31"Armed forces from him* will arise, and will desecrate (defile) the temple sanctuary and fortress, and will abolish the regular daily sacrifice [of the Jews]. Then they** will set up the abomination of [or, that causes] desolation. 32 By flattery and smooth words he* will corrupt and seduce those who [willfully] violate the covenant; but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. 33 Those among the [Jewish] people who are wise will give understanding and insight to many; though for a time they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder. 34 Now when they fall they will receive little help***, and many who are not sincere will join them. 35 Some of those who have insight will fall, so that they may be refined, purged and made pure until the time of the end; because [all this] is still to come at the appointed time.

36"Then the king**** will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the one true and living God. He will prosper until the indignation (or, wrath) is finished, for that which is decreed and determined will be done.

* 'him' and 'he' may have a double meaning, both (1) a wicked ruler before the time of Jesus (see below), and (2) the Antichrist of the last days.
** 'they' means the forces of the evil ruler.
*** or, 'receive a little help'. Omitting the 'a' seems better in context.
**** 'the king' here is usually considered to be the Antichrist alone, a turning point in the complete passage, rather than sharing characteristics with Antiochus Epiphanes. In some versions, this king is called "the willful king".

It is important to know that 160-170 years before Jesus Christ came the first time, that there was a wicked ruler in the area surrounding Jerusalem known as Antiochus Epiphanes (an TIE o kus ~ e PIF an eez) who was determined to crush the Jews into submission in every way possible. During the campaign to take Jerusalem, Antiochus and his armies killed over 40,000 Jews. The spiritual low point of Antiochus' reign came when during 166 BC, he erected an altar to Zeus in the Jewish temple, and sacrificed a swine on it. To the Jews, who were prohibited by Antiochus from using their temple, this abominable action desecrated, defiled, and polluted their temple.

And yet, they were advised by Daniel that "the people who know their God will display strength and take action". This could only mean the Jews, since there were no Christians 166 years before Christ. And devout Jews took this admonition to heart, and strong men among them (the Maccabee family) indeed took action and eventually cleared out Antiochus and his armies from Jerusalem. The temple was restored and rededicated for sacrificial use during the time of the Maccabees.

We'll look at this verse again in a later post where we consider everything that Daniel has written about the Antichrist, which is considerable. As for now, let us likewise take this admonition to heart, and display strength and take action when and where needed for our God.

Finally, we will at some point discuss "double fulfillment" passages, where a passage about an event or person in the past can also refer to an event or person in the future. This particularly occurs in the Biblical prophetic passages.
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58. And one more thing. . .

2009-08-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

...be occupied until he comes.

In Luke 19:12-14, Jesus told this illustration (from the King James Version [KJV]):

"12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds [minas], and said unto them, Occupy till I come . 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us."

Now when we consider the word "occupy", we generally think of an army occupation of a country, and so we interpret the parable to mean that Jesus is telling us to occupy the earth much as the U.S. Army occupies Iraq, keeping it safe and orderly until Jesus comes again. This is the viewpoint that is brought about by the 1611 King James Version translation, and while it may be true, it is almost universally agreed that this interpretation of the passage is not what is meant.

What it really means can be seen in almost all the other versions, whether older or contemporary. Here, are the various Bible version translations of the highlighted part of the above verse (Jesus had just given them a large sum of money -- each of the ten minas being worth about 2-3 months wages) and then he said to them:

NASB: Do business with this until I come back.
NIV: Put this money to work until I come back.
NKJV: Do business until I come.
NLT: Invest this while I am gone.
NCV: Do business with this money until I come back.
CEV: Use this to earn more money until I get back.
The Message: Operate with this until I return.
Amplified: Buy and sell with this while I go and then return.
Rheims: Trade till I come.
NAB: Engage in trade with these until I return.
NRSV: Do business with these until I come back.
ESV: Engage in business until I come.

And the newest version, The Expanded Bible (TExB): Do business with [Invest; Trade with] this money until I get back.

It can be clearly seen that he is telling them a parable about the obedient life using a business illustration which is lost in the KJV: do business, invest this, operate with this, buy and sell, trade, engage in trade, engage in business, trade with.

It is the "Good steward / Good employee / Good servant" illustration again. The gifts that God has given us we are to put to good use, that we may give the proceeds back to God with interest and to others, even more than was initially given to us.

And I would add, if you appreciate and value the KJV and hate to give it up, just tweak this verse a little bit to say "Be occupied until I come", and then do it!
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57. What sort of people should we be. . .

2009-08-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

. . .since all these things will be dissolved? 2 Pet 3:11

There are some Bible passages about the end times that are particularly helpful in telling us what sort of lives we should live,
and what sort of people we should be, as we wait for God's Son from heaven, in the light of the things that are coming upon the earth. Some of the verses relate to (1) His glorious appearing (Titus 2:13), and others to (2) the catastrophic events that will usher in the new heavens and the new earth at the end of the age.

2 Peter 3:1-4 reminds us that in the last days scoffers will come mocking, following their own sinful desires, and saying: "Why hasn't he shown up yet like he promised? Things are exactly the same since the beginning of creation." (paraphrase)

But 2 Pet 3:5-7 suggests here's where they are wrong: "Just because the things promised haven't happened yet, doesn't mean they are not going to happen. After all, God created all things by the power of his Word, and the flood happened in the same way. And by that same Word, all things are held in reserve for the fire that is to come on the day of judgment and destruction -- The Day of the Lord" (paraphrase)

And why is God holding up fulfilling his promises about wrath and judgment against wicked men? 2 Pet 3:9 tells us "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some people consider slowness, but is very patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Finally in this passage, Peter comes to the place where he tells us how we as believers should live:

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a great roar, and the heavenly bodies (or, the very elements themselves) will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

"Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of people you ought to be living lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies (or elements) will melt as they burn. But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

"Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these things, be diligent to be found in him without any spot or blemish, and at peace." (2 Pet 3:10-14)

And Peter adds in 2 Pet 3:18, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever, to the day of eternity. Amen."

In short, because of the wrath and judgment coming upon the earth, we should live our lives in holiness and godliness.

But the scriptures also tell us that because of the coming glorious appearing of Jesus which we wait for, we should live life in the very same way:

"Beloved, we are now God's children. And while it is not clear what we will be like when he appears, we know this: that we will be like him, because we will (finally) see him as he is! And all those who have this hope within them, purify themselves just as he is pure!" (1 John 3:2-3)

And finally, 2 Corinthians ch 6 gives believers many promises about the relationship that God the Father will have with us when we live obediently. He adds in 2 Cor 7:1,

"Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Brothers and sisters, let us commit ourselves to these things!
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56. Q & A for the author/writer of this blog.

2009-08-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

'
Q - Are the views on this blog your own views?

A1 - In one sense, YES. The words are almost exclusively my own, and if and when the words depend heavily upon someone else, their name is credited in the blogpost. Still, I'm the writer, the author, the proclaimer of what is written in this blog, whether good or bad.

A2 - But in a more important sense, these are NOT my own views.
The prophetic world view expressed in the blog is not my own, and was begun two millennia ago. It is called Premillennialism which means that I believe that Jesus will come back before the Millennium (and that there actually IS a thousand-year period called the Millennium). And, within premillennialism, it belongs to a subset called pretribulationalism, which means that I believe that Jesus is coming back before the 7-year tribulation period for His church, his saints, his saved-ones (and that there actually IS a 7-year period of tribulation, terror, and chaos).

Q - Who holds this view besides yourself?

A- This is the view that is held by such pastors, authors, speakers, and theologians as John MacArthur, David Jeremiah, Tim Lahaye, Mark Hitchcock, Joel Rosenberg, Joel Richardson, Adrian Rogers (deceased), Chuck Swindoll, John Walvoord (deceased), John Hagee, Charles Ryrie, David Reagan, Jack Van Impe, Hal Lindsay, and (in general) the Southern Baptist Convention, almost all Bible churches, and MANY others.

Q - Do you agree with everything that they believe?

A- Concerning the end time events and views, almost so, because 35 years of study have convinced me that the Biblical facts and events fit together best in this framework. I would say that the above named people probably agree with each other on 90-95% of the important features and beliefs of the pre-mill pre-trib position, and that I agree with that same 90-95%. Still, I may point out from time to time a difference, or what I consider a weak point in the pre-mill pre-trib prophetic view. And some of those listed may hold views in areas other than Biblical prophecy with which I do not agree.

Q - Are you a Southern Baptist?

A - No, I am a conservative Presbyterian who happens to be pre-mill and pre-trib, which is admittedly unusual (but not heretical). I am an elder and teacher in the PCA (an evangelical, fully Bible-believing Christ-honoring denomination). In my early Christian years, I was a member and teacher in a Bible church (non-denominational), and was operations manager for a publisher of Christian Bible study books, both of which had a pre-mill pre-trib orientation.

Q - How would you answer those who say that the pre-mill pre-trib view is actually a recent position dating from the 1830's?

A - I would be the first to admit that it got a kick-start under the study and teaching of John Nelson Darby in the 1830's but can be found in almost every century before that, in the songs of Isaac Watts, very much written about in the writings of the early church fathers (90 - 200 AD), and most of all, in the Bible!

Q - Finally, what is the purpose of this blogsite, compared to other end-times blogsites?

A - The goals and purposes of this site are more modest than most end-time sites, in that other sites are more comprehensive, more all-inclusive, and (in my view) new posts come from them so quickly and often that it is almost impossible to keep up with all of it. Many other sites (some of which I have recommended in the left hand column of this blogpage) are excellent informational sites.

The Future History blogsite tends to have one or two posts a day, as opposed to 10-30, and tends to be a teaching blogsite, as opposed to an informational blogsite -- and will also tend to be scripturally oriented, as opposed to being event oriented. Finally, I hope it will continue to allow and foster a dialogue, where I can respond to the comments and questions that are posted.

That's it for now, friends, feel free to ask any more questions or comment on any post.

For much more information on the millennial views and tribulational views, see posts such as #27, 29, 39, 40, 45, 49, 51, & 52, and parts of other posts. Oh, why not just start at post #1. See post #46 for the reasons why. Click here.
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55. Q&A- Matthew 24 and the 7-year tribulation

2009-08-20T20:00:00.001-07:00

This question about post #52 came from a reader, which I thought was worth a new post: "Could you not infer that Matt. 24 refers to the 7 years of tribulation since Jesus quotes Daniel 9 concerning the abomination of desolation? This event in the middle of the 70th week seems to mark the beginning of the "great tribulation". I take this to be the last 3 1/2 years, but the events described by Jesus are the 7 years of tribulation."

A discussion on Matthew 24 is worth many posts, the main reason being that there seems to be a double fulfillment: (1) in the far past when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in AD 68-70, and (2) still in the future, during the 7 year tribulation period. And yes, we will cover this issue more, for sure!

I think that Matthew 24 covers the seven year tribulation plus a period of undetermined (and undeterminable) length preceding it, yet he omits any mention of a pre-trib rapture at what many of us would consider the proper chronological point. In Matthew's defense, I'd state that not every writer is bound to cover every topic at what we would consider the appropriate point, which makes the Bible seem much like a puzzle, finding the pieces in various places to make up the whole picture.

Yes, surely the Daniel 9:27 and Matt 24:15 verses can be linked (since Matthew says so!), and yes, the abomination of desolation event is surely part of the events that occur at the midpoint of the tribulation. 2 Thess 2:3-4 also occurs at that time. And about those midpoint events, Matthew adds "When you see these things, then ... flee ...". And it is at that point that Matthew says in 24:21, "and then there will be great tribulation, the worst of all time, past, present, and future." . Notice that when we say 'Matthew says' we are really saying 'Jesus says', since this is a chapter-long teaching by Jesus.

Jesus does not seem to give us a clear starting point for the tribulation. In fact, he sort of glides into the tribulation with his discussion about "the end is not yet", "the beginning of birth pangs", & "and then the end will come". These last words take place seemingly at the halfway point, if Matthew 24 is in chronological order, which it may not be! The whole book of Matthew is more in thematic order than the chronological order that Luke is in. (Luke's purpose was to "compile an orderly account")

In comparison, note that in Revelation, the start of the tribulation itself is quite clear -- in Rev 6:1-2 when the white horse with the pseudo-christ, the false christ, the Antichrist rides forth to conquer, at the first of the trumpets, which is the first of the 21 plagues of the tribulation in Revelation.

If you'd like to discuss further, add a comment to this post.
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54. The Centrality of Israel to World Events

2009-08-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

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How much more important the U.S.A. seems than tiny Israel, when we consider the natural realm of world events. The USA has about 48 times the population, (307,000,000 vs 6,300,000), and about 375 times the land mass, (3,000,000 sq miles vs 8,000 sq miles) not counting Alaska.

Israel (8,000 sq mi) is smaller than Massachusetts (10,500 sq mi), and at the West Bank is even narrower (about 14 miles) than tiny Rhode Island. [An illustration useful primarily for North Texas readers, is that Israel at its narrowest, is about as wide as the distance between downtown Dallas and the sports complex in Arlington]

And yet, the Bible makes the claim that everything in our world revolves around Israel. And it claims even more: that the events in Israel are centered in Jerusalem, and even more, that the issues and events in Jerusalem are centered at the temple mount where the various Jewish temples have been over the ages, and where it is claimed there will be one (or two) yet future Jewish temples.

That would seem to be an impossibility, since (supposedly) sitting on the Biblical temple mount is the beautiful golden-domed Dome of the Rock, Islam's third most holy site, as well as the smaller Al-Aksa Mosque. The construction of these two Islamic holy sites date from 690-760 AD.

Here's where I give my usual disclaimer: I'll have much more to say about this in future posts.

True, but for now I'll add this:
Keep your eye on Israel, and focus even more closely on Jerusalem -- and even more closely on the temple mount, where the Islamic holy sites are, and where temple promoters intend to build the next Jewish temple.

And as Psalm 122:6-7 says,

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May they prosper who love you. May there be peace within your walls, and security within your citadels"

And as much as it depends upon you, encourage the USA and its leaders to promote peace in Israel, but not at the cost of the one commodity Israel does not have: namely, land.
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53. Current events with future implications

2009-08-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

Note: This is a repost of a previous post, put here for those who do not go back and read from post #1. This was originally post #9

If “future events cast their shadows backwards” (see Post #2), then some events that are going to happen in the near future (2-5 years) must have their origins (in part) occurring in the present time, or even earlier. A short list of trends that are happening now that could have major implications in the near future would include:

1. The return of Russian militancy and dominance
2. The belligerence of the new nuclear hopefuls
3. The renewed increase in wars and possibilities of wars
4. The growing riches in Israel
5. The growing pressure on Israel
6. The global rise of militant Islam
7. The rise in America of a stealth Islam
8. The global movement toward a cashless society
9. Growing government intrusion and interference with life and liberty
10. The increase in famines and earthquakes
11. An increase in the velocity of the trends themselves

This may seem like a fairly diverse list, where the items listed only have one thing in common: their current upward trend. But there is a second common factor that is not so readily apparent: the Bible speaks of most of these events happening in increasing measure as the end-times approach. These trends should be watched for increases and deviances. As the days and weeks go on, we will look at each of these trends in single posts or multiple posts.
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52. The 3 1/2 year Great Tribulation

2009-08-15T19:26:00.000-07:00

...the longest post so far, by far, so go get a cup of coffee (or coke or tea) and I'll see you right back here.

This post continues the discussion about the future 7-year period of tribulation, terror, chaos, and disaster coming upon the earth -- worse than any that happened before or ever shall happen -- brought about by various factors which include (1) unbelieving mankind, (2) the unleashed forces of nature, (3) Satan and his legions of evil spirits, (4) the good and mighty angels under God's direction, (5) the Lord Jesus Christ, and (6) God the Father himself. It does not appear that those who become believers during the tribulation play any role in unleashing the horrors and chaos of the tribulation, but are only the innocent recipients of the devastation and chaos.

The main topic of this post, however, will not be the 7-year tribulation itself, but rather the two three and a half year periods into which the 7-year tribulation period is divided.

Back in post #45 "Is the 7-year tribulation clearly mentioned in the
NT? ", as part of the answer, I said this:

In its simplest form, in Daniel 9:24 it says it will take 490 years (70 'sevens' of years) for God to accomplish 6 (or 7) things in His program for Israel. 483 of those years (69 'sevens' of years) have already occurred in God’s program, but the final 7 years have not yet happened. That 7-year period is still future.
In a future post [this is now that post], I will list and discuss all the Biblical references to 3 ½ years (half the 7-year period), and how the 3 ½ year-long events relate to the 7-year tribulation period, but here I will say simply that most pre-millennialists believe that the 7-year period is the entire tribulation period, and the last half (3 ½ year portion) is the great tribulation.

Interestingly, there are no verses in the New Testament which refer to the "7-year" tribulation. All the NT references (and all in Revelation) are about a three and a half year period, described variously as (1) "1,260 days", (2) "42 months" or "forty-two months", or (3) "time, times, and half a time". There are no New Testament references to "three and a half years" except those in Luke 4:25 and James 5:17, where it mentions an earlier (and lesser) time of trouble where Elijah the Old Testament prophet prevented the heavens from raining for 3 1/2 years. That period could be considered a forerunner and foretaste of the Great tribulation coming in the latter days.

One housekeeping issue needing discussion is whether all these terms above are equal. If we use our current calendar of 365 (and 366) days per year, they are not equal. But if we use the prophetic calendar, which from time to time has been the calendar in actual use, we will use 360 days instead of 365 (each month has 30 days). With this calendar,
(1) 360 days per year times 3 1/2 years = 1260 days,
(2) and 3 1/2 years times 12 mos per year = 42 months,
(3) and "time (a year), times (two years), and half a time (half a year)" = three and a half years.
Therefore, all the periods equal the same amount of time.

In the entire Bible, there are only seven verses that use the three descriptions listed above, which I am here listing in order in the Bible, with a short commentary following each one:

Starting in DANIEL:

(1) Daniel 7:25: "He will speak lofty words against the Most High [God], and will oppress and abuse the saints of the Most High, and will try to change the times and the laws. The saints will be given over to him for a time, times, and half a time."

This is one of the earliest prophecies given about the Antichrist, which shows his arrogance against God, his hatred of believers, his intention to change world systems, and his determination to annihilate the saints of God. The phrase "time, times, and half a time" is generally considered to mean "a year, years, and half a year", with the "years" being interpreted as two years. (1 plus 2 plus 1/2 equals 3 1/2).

(2) Daniel 12:7: [And the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, was asked "How long will it be before these astonishing things are finished?"] 7 And [the man] lifted up his right hand, with his left hand toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it would be for a time, times, and half a time. And when the power of the holy people is completely shattered [comes to an end], all these things will be finished.

The "man" clothed in linen is most likely an angel, perhaps Gabriel who is called a man elsewhere in Daniel (vs 9:20), and is most often God's messenger to deliver God's special messages to those on earth. All the events that have been shown so far in Daniel lead a different being on the scene to ask when will all these things be completed. The messenger angel replies that all these terrible events will occupy 3 1/2 years until the power of the saints is completely crushed.

Moving to REVELATION:

(3) Revelation 11:1-2: Then I was given a staff like a measuring rod and was told (some versions add 'by an angel'), "Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and [count] those who worship there. 2 But do not measure the court outside of the temple; leave that out, for it has been given to the Gentiles [the nations]; and they will trample on the holy city for forty-two months.

The "I" in verse 11:1 is the apostle John who, while still "in the spirit", has been given the staff in his vision. Two things are in view here, (1) the temple of God (there is not one currently standing), and (2) the holy city Jerusalem which will house the temple yet to be built. This temple will be the fourth temple in Jerusalem, following (1) Solomon's temple, (2) Ezra's temple -- the temple of the exiles, (3) Herod's temple, and (4) the tribulation temple mentioned in this verse. There will apparently be a fifth temple, the Millennial temple, if the tribulation temple does not survive the tribulation disasters. And the event that happens in the 3 1/2 years mentioned is the trampling down of the holy city Jerusalem by the nations of the world (gentiles = non-Jewish nations). By extension, the temple may be trodden down by the nations also.

Here is something to consider as we move through these 7 verses. Are the events mentioned going to occur during the first 3 1/2 years, or during the second 3 1/2 years, or some in both, or don't we have enough information to know? I will give you my view at the end of this post (which differs from the view taken in the "Left Behind" series of books).

(4) Revelation 11:3 : And I will give power [and authority] to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.

This verse 11:3 directly follows the previous verse, and must surely occupy the same space in time. If verse 11:2's "42 months" is the first half of the tribulation, then surely verse 11:3's "1,260 days" is the same period. If verse 11:2 refers to the last half of the 7 years, then so must verse 11:3. The verses could not be linked any closer together. The verses following the above verse (11:4-6) explain the two prophet's mission, power, and indestructibility during their time of witnessing.

(5) Revelation 12:6 : Then the woman fled into the wilderness [desert], where she had a place prepared for her by God, where she is to be taken care of for 1,260 days.

In the first five verses of chapter 12, John the Apostle sees an amazing sign in heaven. Simplified, it involves a woman, a male child waiting to be born, and a terrible red dragon. As she prepares to deliver the child, the dragon positions himself to devour the child as it is born. But the child was snatched up to the throne of God. Who are these three? Are they merely symbolic? In Rev 12:9, we are told that the dragon is Satan, the devil. Yes, the dragon is a symbol, but not 'merely' a symbol. The symbol refers to an actual literal someone, the devil, Satan.

Who is the male child? In Rev 12:5 we are told that this child is to rule all nations with a rod of iron. Comparing scripture with scripture (a good policy!) we find that it is the Messiah who will do this. Messiah means Christ, and vice-versa. So we have the woman left. Who is this woman who gave birth to the Messiah/Christ that Satan wanted to devour? It is generally taken that this is Israel who gave birth to the Messiah.

So it is Israel that is going to flee to the wilderness, where she will be protected for 1,260 days. Who will she be fleeing from? From Satan for sure, but it would also seem she will need protection from the nations that are trampling Jerusalem. But there is more:

(6) Revelation 12:13-14 : Now when the dragon (Satan, aka the serpent) saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman (Israel) who had given birth to the male child (Christ). 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to the place where she will be taken care of for a time, times, and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

Revelation 12:14 sounds like the same event in 12:6 just above, and with essentially the same cast of characters and information, except that it adds that Satan is persecuting the woman some time after he was cast out of heaven. And when was that? There are Biblical passages that seem somewhat contradictory about the timing of Satan having been cast out of heaven. This may be explained by the different relationships that he has had with heaven over time:

First, before the creation of the world, before Satan attempted to usurp God's authority and demanded to be like the most high, he lived and walked in the presence of God, perhaps the fairest of all fair angels. Second, after the creation of the world, he was cast out of heaven for his arrogance, audacity and pride, and banished to earth which became his main base of operations (John 12:30, "prince of this world"), but he still had access to heaven and to God (see book of Job, chapters 1 & 2). This casting out of heaven may be the one that Jesus refers to when he said "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." Third, his permission to enter heaven and approach God was cut off at the cross. We do not find him having access to heaven any more after the resurrection of Christ. This is his current situation where he yet rules the demons, and deceives, harasses, and empowers those of mankind who rebel against the true and living God (Eph 2:2, "Prince of the power of the air"). Fourth, and still future after the battle of Armageddon, he will be cast into the abyss (the bottomless pit) which is the dwelling place of dead men and of demons; and finally, after a short time of release on the earth, Fifth, after the millennium, Satan will be thrown into hell, into the lake of burning sulfur, where he will remain throughout eternity.

And last, (7) Revelation 13:1-4, And I saw a beast rising out of the sea ... and to it the dragon (Satan) gave his power, his throne, and great authority... and the whole earth worshiped the dragon, and they likewise worshiped the beast ... 5 And the beast was given a mouth speaking exceedingly haughty and blasphemous words, and he was permitted to exercise authority [over mankind, including believers] for forty-two months.

The final piece of the "three and a half year" puzzle is here laid out on the board of Biblical prophecy, and a very important piece it is. For this beast mentioned here in this chapter of Revelation can be none other than the Antichrist. It is clear from the surrounding verses, that Satan is the one who gives the Antichrist his power, which, during the tribulation period will be that of Satan himself.

The only other verse of the seven that mentions the doings of the Antichrist is the first one, Daniel 7:25, where it says "He will speak lofty words against the Most High [God], and will oppress and abuse the saints of the Most High, and will try to change the times and the laws. The saints will be given over to him for a time, times, and half a time."

This thirteenth chapter of Revelation deals almost exclusively with the Antichrist and his right-hand man, the False Prophet, and we will look at it extensively in a later post.

By way of reminder, this post is primarily a survey of the seven passages that specifically mention the three and a half year period during the tribulation. There are hundreds of other verses that describe the events that will go on during the tribulation, which we will look at in the future. And we have one item more to discuss now: do these events occur during the first 3 1/2 years, the second 3 1/2 years, or some in the first half, and some in the second?

The "Left Behind" series written by Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins have placed some of these events during the first half, but most notably, the time of the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11:3, verse #4 in our list above. I have not read their reasons for that placement, although I have read the "Left Behind" series twice now, and appreciate the care and concern with which they have dealt with these sensitive and difficult issues.

But here is an alternative view: Since (1) the first half of the seven years will be a time of relative peace for Israel and Jerusalem (due to the 7 year peace treaty that begins the tribulation period), and since (2) the breaking of the treaty by the Antichrist is what begins the second half (the Great tribulation), and since (3) Revelation 11:2 appears to occur after the breaking of the treaty ("holy city trampled underfoot for 42 months"), and because (4) Revelation 11:2 and 11:3 seem so intricately linked, then the (5) two witnesses of 11:3 must surely be testifying in Jerusalem during the Antichrist's attacks of the second half.

And how like God, to have these special prophets testifying and witnessing during the worst part, as Noah testified prior to the great flood, and as Isaiah did before the taking away of Israel by Assyria, and as Jeremiah and Ezekiel did prior to and during the removal of Judah by Babylon, and as the New Testament apostles and prophets did during the time of the Caesar's wrath against the early church -- then how like God to have his two miracle-working, fire-breathing, God-empowered, indestructable dual prophets to be a spectacular and burdensome thorn in the side of the Antichrist and his False Prophet during the last 42 months of the tribulation.

For the reason of simplicity itself, and holding to the possibility that the mention of the three and a half years is primarily to define a single 3 1/2 year period, I believe that all seven of the verses above and their surrounding verses, all refer to the second half of the tribulation period, the Great tribulation.

Do you think otherwise? Please post your reasons as a comment, and we'll discuss it here or on another post.
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51. When will the Rapture happen...

2009-08-07T19:56:00.000-07:00

... in relation to the tribulation?

This is a very complicated issue. It is worthy of a second topic, "Why must there be a tribulation?" -- which is a very good question that will be answered later in still another post.

Yes, I realize I have said that about a lot of topics, but I've addressed a number of those already. So sometimes we'll need to continue diving right into the middle of a subject before all the preparatory or introductory information has been posted.

So I ask again, when will the rapture happen in relation to the tribulation? Will it be before the tribulation begins (pre-trib), at the midpoint of the tribulation (mid-trib), or at or near the very end (post-trib) -- or at some other time, like right before God accelerates the destruction of the earth by man and beast and angel and God himself (pre-wrath).

By way of reminder, I have mentioned a couple of times that the tribulation appears to be for a 7-year period, and also, there seems to be a conglomeration of events that happen at or near the halfway point -- at the 3 1/2 year point. There are many premillennialists that say that this last half should be called the Great Tribulation.

Matthew 24:21 says "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not occurred on the earth until now, nor ever will be"

Below I have pasted part of the condensed version of the Future History, showing many of the events during and surrounding the tribulation (from Post #29).

You can see that I (and most premillennialists) hold to the view that the rapture (at A.) occurs before the tribulation begins (at C.). But some premillennialists hold the the rapture occurs only before the Great Tribulation -- at the midpoint (at E.). And just a few premillennialists place the rapture at or near the end of the tribulation (at H.)

A. The Great Disappearance/The Rapture of the Church
B. The Russia Coalition War/Anti-Israel Coalition Devastated
C. Global Leader-Antichrist emerges/makes 7 year peace pact to protect Israel
D. Catastrophic events on earth and in the heavens/Israel builds temple
E. Global Leader-Antichrist profanes the Jewish Temple, breaks peace pact after 3 1/2 years.
F. Terrible persecution is increased against Jews and Christians, since they are not aligned with OneWorldFaith.
G. Disasters from the heavens and from the abyss ravage earth/world prepares for war against Israel.
H. Armies come together at Armaggedon, bloodbath occurs on 7th anniversary of peace pact.

So I won't be answering the question here -- that will take many posts into the future. But here I have given an overview of the various possibilities.

I tend to agree with the vocal majority, that the rapture of the church will occur before the tribulation, which happens before the millennium begins. So I hold to a pre-mill pre-trib position, and future posts will discuss why I do so.
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50. Q: Where have I been? A: A Special Project.

2009-08-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

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Hi, again.
I've been involved in a special project for the last 10 days or so, that's why there is only a few (two?) blogposts during that time. Wife and I finally sold a property we'd been trying to sell for over a year, and have been taking care of all the odds and ends about the property itself and the sale. There are so many documents of various kinds around our computer, I wanted to clear out both the desk area and my mind before I began again here.

I owe you readers Part Two about the timing of the rapture, as to whether it is before the tribulation, in the middle somewhere, or after the tribulation. Good people, spiritual people, knowledgeable people, have lined up with different positions about this issue. We addressed the rapture in Post #49 right below here, and post #51 will complete our current Prophecy 101 level overview, which (if all goes well) I should post by tomorrow night (8/6). Then we'll be off and running again on a regular basis.

God's richest blessings to you as we await his coming,
Perhaps today,

Larry
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49. The Rapture. What, where, and when?

2009-07-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

This is just an introduction: call it Rapture 101

Q1 - What is the rapture? And where do we find it in the Bible?

First, lets take care of one important issue:
It is claimed by some that the word rapture is not used a single time in the Bible, and that it is an event not taught in the Bible. Right, and wrong, in that order. It is true that the word 'rapture' is not found in the English Bible. But the words Trinity, Bible, missions, and missionary are not found in the Bible either, yet most would agree that they are concepts found in the Bible.

The English word rapture is an English transliteration of the Latin word rapio, of which raeptius is the form of the word used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 in the Latin Bibles written long ago. This word is usually translated snatch up, catch up, take up suddenly in the English.

In Thess 4:17, we find the verse where the "catching up" of the Church happens:

17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Most recent Bible versions use the words "caught up" in this verse. And the event taking place here is the rapture of the church. The church is being "caught up" from the Earth to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air. Throughout the New Testament, thirteen times various similar terms are used to tell of other "catching up" or "snatching up" or "snatching away" events that occur.

Q2 - Where will this catching up to meet the Lord happen?
It will happen all over the earth, wherever living or dead believers reside. The verse before the one above says:

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Why do the dead in Christ rise first, before the living do? Some have facetiously (and humorously) said it's because they have 6 feet further to go. But actually the surrounding text tells us why: So that those who are in sorrow about their dead family members won't think that those family members have missed the rapture.

Most believe it will be a wonderful, glorious day above, but a terrible, horrific day down on Earth.

Q3 - When will the rapture of the church take place?
If you are hoping for an exact year, I can't help you. Only that
it hasn't happened yet, so we are in the same position as the Thessalonians, who are now ALL long dead, and whose bodies are still down here on Earth waiting for the upward trumpet call from the heavenlies, to be reunited with their souls which are currently with the Lord.

My two earlier posts #27 (long) and #29 (condensed) attempted to describe the order of the Future History of Earth. As I said elsewhere, most premillennialists believe that the catching up of the church is the next thing on the prophetic calendar. As to whether it is 2 years away, or 20, or 200, we cannot tell -- although most students of the prophetic times agree that it is doubtful that we'll make 200 years without the rapture occurring.

And there is one more issue about "when" that we will cover in the next post: if the rapture does NOT happen before the tribulation starts, what are the other views for the timing of the rapture compared to the timing of the tribulation?
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48. Will I be naming the Antichrist soon?

2009-07-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

'
Probably not soon, and maybe never, although I am certainly willing to, if God so wills.

Let me explain:
In both posts #27 (long version) and #29 (short version), you see the outline of the Future History that God indicates in scripture will happen. There are debates about the first item in both lists, the Rapture of the Church, as to when it precisely comes in the Bible prophecy sequence, (1) at the first, or (2) in the middle, or (3) near the end of the sequence. I and most premillennialists now take the position that the church will be taken up (lit. snatched up) to heaven before the tribulation begins. And only after that event can the Antichrist be revealed in all his strength and wickedness.

Consider what it says in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8a:
"6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now restrains will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed,..."

Here is a restatement of the same passage indicating whether the Antichrist is meant, or whether the Holy Spirit and the Church are meant:
"6 And now you know that the Holy Spirit and the Church are holding back the Antichrist, so that the Antichrist may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the Holy Spirit who now restrains will continue to do so until the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way.
8 And then the Antichrist will be revealed,..."

I've tried to color-code the references to make it clear who is being talked about in the verses. If it doesn't work for you, let me know via comment, and I'll try plan "B".

The timeline around these events can be described as:
1. Currently, the Holy Spirit in believers is working in the world, restraining evil and lawlessness in general; previously in and through Israel, but now in an expanded way in and through the Church.
2. The one who is to become the Antichrist is born and becomes active in the world, but is restrained by the Holy Spirit, and is not yet recognized as "the lawlessness one". Some premillennialists see evidence that we are in this period of history.
3. The Church is snatched up from the earth (popularly known as the rapture), whose loss will be felt immediately due to the absence of the Holy Spirit living and working in and through believers.
4. The Holy Spirit, now "taken out of the way", no longer restrains the Antichrist nor evil in general. And so,
5. The Antichrist is now revealed -- but I believe slowly and partially over the first half of the tribulation (first 3 1/2 years.)
6. During the last half of the tribulation, the Antichrist and his followers unleash their fury upon Israel and the saints who have come to believe in Jesus since the church was snatched up. During the same time, God unleashes his fury and wrath against the Antichrist and his followers.

So will anyone in the Church know who the Antichrist is before the church is raptured? Yes, I think that as time goes on, more and more believers will figure out who it is based on the scriptures. The ones who search the scriptures most diligently, will be the first ones to figure it out and to spread the early warning. But I do not expect this soon.

47. The Third Lens (w. thanks to Joel Rosenberg)

2009-07-22T20:21:00.000-07:00

What I have written below is greatly influenced by Joel C. Rosenberg's best-seller “Epicenter 2.0” (Carol Stream: Tyndale House, 2008) which I highly recommend. Still, the words below are my own.

As I watch the news programs on TV, I gravitate toward the conservative shows and commentators, such as Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Greta van Susteren, Karl Rove, Dick Morris, and Newt Gingrich. And yet, I am aware that the main advice and counsel that they give has been generally only viewed through what Joel Rosenberg calls the two lenses of politics and economics. We could call the view “two-dimensional”.

Many such commentators may have Christian moral principles, and may in fact be Christians. But for reasons known best to themselves and to the networks that employ them, they rarely speak about the Biblical view on their shows or on their commentary. They might say that is not their purpose.

By way of comparison, have you ever watched a 3D movie where special glasses were required? Regardless how long you watch it without the 3D glasses, it just doesn’t look like it is supposed to. Watching a three-dimensional movie with only a two-dimensional setup is confusing, as well as unreliable, and even deceptive. (Addition: post-Avatar 5/05/10 10:05 CDT): For example, I saw "Avatar" in a 3D theatre -- and during the showing I took off my special glasses a few times, just to see what it looked like in 2D. It was difficult to watch, and it didn't clarify anything.

It takes adding the third-dimension to make the viewing of the movie trustworthy and accurate. And this also applies to the world of politics and economics. It takes the Bible to add a third-dimension to provide clarity, perspective, reliability and true understanding to the 2D-lens view that most commentators use.

Such TV hosts and commentators usually realize that there is a “problem” that needs to be solved, but rarely is that problem denounced for being evil. Some of the commentators do not have the imagination to see something as actually evil, and not just (1) impractical, or (2) inconvenient, or (3) exorbitant, or (4) against the Constitution. When we add the third lens of scripture, we are able to add the perspective of ‘evil’ vs. ‘godly’ to comments, arguments, events, and proposals.

We need to remember this: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the dark powers of this world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms…" Eph 6:12

And this is why in my blogsite profile in the left column, I state that "I have long been convinced that the most reliable guide to what the future holds is the Bible." It gives us the extra insight we need to discern which side of local, national, and world issues we should be on, and how best to fight the battle.

46. You still have time to start with post #1

2009-07-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

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Yes, 46 posts seems like a lot, but the whole thing since inception (June 12, 2009) can be read in about an hour (except for the outline of the book of Revelation). I recommend for new viewers to do that, because so much of the later posts depend on the earlier ones -- even at this early date.

However, as I stated in a previous post, the topics here are not orderly, but rather are scattered for varying interests, drawing closer together in content as time goes on.

I also said this in an earlier post: The Future History Blog is not very far along, and you can still follow the King's advice. I'm speaking, of course, of the King in "Alice in Wonderland", where he exclaims: "Begin at the beginning," the King said gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop."

If you're new to viewing blogs, the fastest way to start with #1 is to scroll to the bottom of this page (way-way down), and click on the link Older Posts (and maybe a second time on a second page...), then scroll down to #1, and off you go, reading the topics upward! NOTE: This does work if you are viewing just one post at a time -- for example, when you have been linked here to this one post. So the alternative is to find June 2009 in the left column, click on it to reveal the individual posts, scroll down to #1, and then open that post, and continue clicking to get the next post #2.

My hope is that you will find the topics interesting enough to interact with the topics, posting comments and questions. My goal is to answer within 24 hours.

Larry Gott
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45. Is the 7-year tribulation clearly mentioned in the NT?

2009-07-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

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A reader asks this question on post #29:
“Where does the New Testament clearly mention anything about a 7-year tribulation?"

Here’s the short answer: "Nowhere", because the reader inserted the word “clearly” in the question. But let’s proceed on anyway, and not answer hastily.

Sigh… Here is the problem:
At times, I wish that God had just given us a Bible Dictionary instead of the Bible -- that way everything about a given subject could be looked up and found alphabetically. Or, perhaps, he could have given us a Systematic Theology instead of the Bible, so we could look up each issue topically. Rarely are things easy in the Bible. That is why (among other reasons) we should study the Bible regularly, diligently, continually, and prayerfully.

For instance, we should learn to not take things out of context. The three most important things in Bible study are context, context, and context.
1. The context of the passage within the immediate context (i.e. the chapter),
2. The context of the passage in the book of the Bible being read, and
3. The context of the passage in the whole Bible. (And sometimes it takes the entire Bible to determine the context. The great and complex topic of the rapture/tribulation/second coming/judgment is so broad and so deep that it is like that.)

That is why we do not want to limit our search for the 7-year tribulation period just to the NT. It rarely happens quite as neat and clean as that. Nor as “clearly”.

But here, there is good news, for both the “tribulation” and the “great tribulation” are mentioned in the NT, and both by Jesus! In Matthew 24:21, He says, “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world (or age) until now, nor ever will be.”

The same period is spoken of in Revelation 7:14b […] And he (the angel) said to me, "These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Many other passages in the NT mention just “tribulation” usually speaking of tribulation in general, but sometimes specifically -- for example, in Matt 24:29 when Jesus says, “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

But what about the 7-year issue? Does it tell us somewhere in Matthew that the tribulation period (or great tribulation) will be 7-years?

No, not in Matthew, nor clearly. But as I study the Bible, it helps me to understand that after every verse in the Bible there is an invisible asterisk* that means “Take this verse in the context of the entire Bible”. And the asterisk after “great tribulation” in Matthew says, *see Daniel 9:20-27 and other verses, for a somewhat complex understanding of where the 7-year period comes from.

In its simplest form, in Daniel 9:24 it says that it will take 490 years (70 'sevens' of years) for God to accomplish six (or seven) things in His program for Israel. 483 of those years (69 'sevens' of years) have already occurred and are accounted for in God’s program, but the final 7 years have not yet happened. That 7-year period is still future.

In a future post, I will list and discuss all the Biblical references to
3 ½ years (half the 7-year period), and how the 3 ½ year-long events relate to the 7-year tribulation period, but here I will say simply that most pre-millennialists believe that the 7-year period is the entire tribulation period, and the last half (3 ½ year portion) is the great tribulation.

Thanks for your question! Keep checking, because we will be discussing this some more.

44. What are the 7 churches in Revelation?

2009-07-19T17:33:00.000-07:00

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This question comes from a personal friend, who wants to know if there is something special, perhaps something symbolic about these seven churches in Revelation, chapters 2 and 3.

First of all, it is important to know that the seven churches that John mentions in chapter 2 and 3 were actual churches that existed at the time of his writing. These churches were planted long before John began writing Revelation, and continued afterward although in some cases not for long. These seven churches were at Ephesus, Smyrna, Thyatira, Pergamum, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, and were located in the area that was then called Asia (or Asia Minor).

It is good to have a Bible Dictionary on hand (I recommend Holman's) so you can look up where these churches were. Looking at a map, it is obvious that these seven churches were in somewhat of a circle, so they could be visited in order by a bishop, elder, or overseer. There were actually an eight and ninth church in this circuit, the church at Colossae for which the book of Colossians was directed, and the church in Hieropolis (Col 4:13) near Colossae and Laodicea.

And where were these churches on today's map? They were in what
is now western Turkey, southwest of Istanbul. They no longer exist today, and many were only mentioned this one time in the Bible. Some of the churches grew to be large, even through trouble and sorrow. Ephesians we know best by far, from the book of the same name in the Bible, and from the Apostle Paul's journeys to Ephesus in the book of Acts. It likely was the head church of the seven.

The fact that they were in what is now Turkey, means that these cities long ago fell under Muslim domination, and even before that, from the first century, this part of Turkey has fallen under various invader's control. It has been under the control of Islam now for 1300 years, except for short periods.

So, yes, John is writing to seven churches, some as small as a house church, to encourage, instruct, praise, and warn them about their behavior and their belief.

But, on the other hand, these churches may also be something special in two ways:

First, these seven 1st century churches are representative of every church that exists today. There is no church today that does not exhibit some of the good traits and bad behaviors that John warns these 1st century churches about. So if you see your churches' problem here, you'd better work to fix it -- at least your part of the problem.

Second, there is a viewpoint that used to be held more widely than it is today, that these seven 1st century churches are not only examples of the current church situation, but that in their specific order in Revelation, they are representative of the churches throughout history. That is, the church in Ephesus and the things Christ said to it, are representative of the early 1st century church. And that the next church, the church at Smyrna and the things Jesus said to it, are representative of the church under persecution in the last third of the 1st century. And so on, until you get to the church of Laodicea, which is representative of the church of the last days, considered almost always to be the church of the current period, lukewarmness being the primary characteristic.

Hopefully, this will help with understanding the seven churches of Revelation.
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43. Another new pestilence: mussels.

2009-07-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

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Headline:
Invasive mussels imperil western water system

“Two years after an invasive mussel was first discovered at Lake Mead, the population has firmly established itself and gone on a breeding binge, with numbers soaring into the trillions.

"Despite efforts to stop their spread, scientists say it's only a matter of time before quagga mussels appear throughout the West's vast system of reservoirs and aqueducts, raising operation and maintenance costs by untold millions.”

So starts this article from the Associated Press. Later on, it continues,

"At Hoover Dam, mussels first colonized intake towers and other structures. What started off as one or two mussels every square foot has increased to 55,000 mussels in the same space, said Leonard Willett, the lower Colorado River mussel coordinator for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

"The mussels also are in pipes that cool generators, compressors and transformers, which could disrupt operations. One of the infestation's side effects has been that the mussels can affect water quality and clarity. That's a major concern at Lake Tahoe on the border of California and Nevada."

Click here to read the whole article.
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42. How can we know whether Jesus' coming is near?

2009-07-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

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In Matthew 24:32-33 Jesus himself addresses the question, "Is there a way that we can know when His second coming (and the end times) are approaching?"
In a teaching situation, Jesus says, "32 From the fig tree learn this lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates."
In verse 24:42, he adds where our starting place should be:
"42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."

My wife and I have lots of plants and flowers in our yard. Since Dallas's temperatures often get down to 18-22 degrees in the winter, we are used to having our plants and flowers look almost dead, and then in the spring we watch them revive and blossom forth again. So, when we see the daffodil leaf shoots pop up through the soil, we know that daffodils are near. We WATCH for evidence of life, and when we SEE the early signs of growth, then we KNOW that buds and then flowers will burst forth soon.

Also, when my children were much younger, my mother and I took them on a trip from Fort Worth to San Antonio by train. In the Fort Worth station the train was not yet in sight, but we could see baggage handlers, food service carts, and more and more travelers coming out where the train would stop and load. Then we heard the whistle, and saw the train approach in the distance. We WATCHED for evidence, and when we SAW the early signs, then we KNEW that the train would be at the station soon.

In these verses, Jesus is saying that this 'watching' is legitimate and desireable! It is his only approved way of knowing that his coming is near: WATCH, then SEE, then KNOW.

Note that Jesus is only telling us to watch for the signs so that we can know that the time is approaching, but in the same context he tells us that we cannot know the day or the hour.
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41. How much of the Bible is prophecy?

2009-07-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

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There is an unstated but significant question being asked here: "How important is prophecy in the grand scheme of the Bible?"
The answer: VERY important and very significant.

The following figures are from Mark Hitchcock's book "101 Answers to the most asked questions about the End Times." (Multnomah Books: Colorado Springs, 2002). He credits J. Barton Payne's "Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy" (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1980)

Total Verses in the Bible: 31,124

Total Number of predictions in the OT: 1,239
Total Number of OT Verses that contain predictions: 6,641 out of 23,210 = 28.5%

Total Number of predictions in the NT: 578
Total Number of NT Verses that contain predictions: 1,711 out of 7,914 = 21.5%

Total Percent of the Bible that is Prophecy: 27 percent.

And yet, my guess is that less than 5% of all sermons, messages, and lessons are taught about prophecy. There's something wrong about that.
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40. The Thousand Year period - Part 2 of 2

2009-07-17T21:08:00.001-07:00

a.k.a. The Millennium
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This is a continuation of post #39 below, and addresses some issues raised near the end of #39, especially why there would be more than one view of the Millennium, and what the various views might mean and include.

There are three main views of the Millennium, the thousand year period described in Revelation 20: 1-8.

The three views (a.k.a. positions, systems) are called premillennial, postmillennial, and amillennial, and are often shortened to pre-mill, post-mill, and a-mill in conversation. Within the premillennial and postmillennial views, there are important divisions that will be discussed sometime in a future post (perhaps in a Part 3 of 2. :^)

The three terms refer not so much to the Millennium itself, but rather its relationship in time and history compared to the second coming of Christ.

Here is a short description of what each of the views believe:

> The premillennial view believes that Jesus' second coming happens before (pre-) the Millennium, and that both the second coming and Millennium are yet future.

> The postmillennial view believes that Jesus' second coming happens after (post-) the Millennium, and that the second coming is future, but the Millennium has either ended, or is still going on (and is longer than a literal 1000 years). [An important variant says that the second coming has already happened, at least in part.]

> The amillennial view does not believe that the Millennium is a literal, actual, 1000-year period, and therefore it is meaningless to place Jesus' second coming in a time and history relationship within such a period. The second coming is generally considered still in the future, although some amillennialists do not believe in a literal, visible, actual second coming.

The postmillennial and amillennial view share a few things in common, in that both of them believe that (1) the Millennium is the period between the two comings of Jesus, (2) that Jesus began reigning in his fullness after he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, (3) that Satan was bound at that same time, and (4) that the Kingdom of God arrived when Jesus was raised and ascended. The amillennial position has historically been the dominant view of the Christian church.

The postmillennial view grew in popularity from the 1600's to the early 1900's, and traditionally has believed that while we await Jesus' coming, the world has been getting better and better, eventually ushering in a new golden age. This view fell upon hard times after the two world wars, and the historical postmillennial view is now in decline, with one important exception: a robust and important recent view usually dated from the 1980's known variously as dominion theology, christian reconstruction, and theonomy. More about this view in a later post.

For the sake of honest disclosure, the writer of this website believes that the premillennial view explains the whole of Biblical prophecy most satisfactorily for many reasons. To mention the two most important, premillennialists feel that both the other two views suffer from two fatal flaws, which are:

First, the interpretation of the binding of Satan. The amillennial and the postmillennial views believe that this happened when Christ was raised from the dead and subsequently ascended to heaven to begin his Kingdom reign. In other words, Satan has been bound since approximately 35 A.D. If you have lived long in this world, you may be surprised to hear that.

Since to the normal Christian it has not seemed (nor does it now seem) that Satan is bound sufficiently, adherants of the two views generally explain that he will be further bound at the end of the age, when Jesus returns.

Now if there were no detailed description in scripture of the actual binding, perhaps we could agree with this position. But the only binding of Satan that the bible describes is not a partial and tentative binding whereby he is weakened, but a full and complete binding in which he is totally disabled. Here is the scripture passage that describes the binding of Satan:

20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the bottomless pit, and shut it up and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. But after that he must be released for a little while.

Note that not only is Satan bound with a great chain during the Millennium, but he was thrown into the bottomless pit. And not only that, but the pit was shut up and locked with a key. And not only that, but it was sealed over him. And further, during this period, the nations cannot be deceived by Satan and his forces. That does not seem to square with the reality of the times since Christ's first coming.

That is why premillennialists say the period starting at Christ's ascension (35 A.D. - present) cannot possibly be the Millennium as the two other views say, because Satan has been active during the entire period and is surely currently active. Therefore the Millennium must be yet future, and the post-mil and a-mill views must be mistaken.

But there is a second reason of equal strength: In Revelation chapter 20, the Millennium begins, not after Jesus Christ's first coming, resurrection and ascension (which in Revelation's prophetic chapters can be seen only in Rev 12:5), but instead after his glorious and victorious second coming which can be seen happening in the 19th chapter, leading the way logically into the 20th chapter. First, His glorious, victorious coming in 19, and only then the Millennium in 20.

I'm sure I will be addressing this issue more in later posts, but as for now, hopefully this will help you understand that while there are three main views, they are not equally valid. And, there is only one view that has no fatal flaw, and which generally adheres to the most reasonable and the most literal meaning of the passages involved.
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39. The Thousand Year period - Part 1 of 2

2009-07-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

a.k.a. The Millennium
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Printed below is the only section of the Bible that specifically mentions the Millennium (Revelation 20: 1-8) [many other passages tell of events during the millennium]:

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the bottomless pit, and shut it up and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. But after that he must be released for a little while.
4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was given. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who participates in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
7 And when the thousand years has ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.

You can see that the term "thousand years" is used six times in this portion of scripture, and only here in the entire bible -- AND that the term "Millennium" is never used in the Bible!

Here is a list what is happening during the Millennium:
1. Satan is bound for 1000 years.
2. He will not deceive the nations for 1000 years.
3. Those believers who have been martyred during the great tribulation come to life and reign with Christ for 1000 years.
4. The rest of the dead did not come to life until after the 1000 years were ended.
5. This (3. above) is the first resurrection. (Note: comparing scripture here with other scripture, this is the first resurrection after the victorious return of Christ)
6. After the 1000 years, Satan will be released for a little while.

From my Topic #29, the condensed version of the Future History as presented in the Bible, I have copied the section in which the 1000 years are included:
H. Armies come together at Armaggedon, bloodbath occurs on 7th anniversary of peace pact.
I. Jerusalem falls, Jesus Christ returns with armies of heaven. Evil resistance is crushed.
J. Christ sets up his Kingdom for a 1000 year period, Satan is bound, and martyred believers are raised.
K. At the end of the 1000 years, Satan is loosed, a great battle is again fought, and Satan is forever thrown into the lake of fire.
L. The New Heavens and the New Earth are completed. . .

So we can place the Millennium after the Rapture of the Church, after the 7 year period of great tribulation and chaos, after the battle of Armaggedon (which ends the tribulation), and after the glorious and victorious return of Jesus Christ (which ends the battle of Armaggedon).

At least it seems we should be able to put the Millennium after the return of Christ. But not all scholars and leaders in the Christian community agree with this assessment. Next, in post #40, we shall revisit the Millennium and look at the various views held within Christianity.
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38. ALERT: Post #33 on 1 & 2 Thessalonians

2009-07-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

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The blog software pulled a fast one on me. It stuck my bible study on 1st & 2nd Thessalonians not on the date I completed it (7/15), but rather, back on the date when I started it (7/11) sticking it down a few topics in the stack.

So, if you are keeping up with the topics in order, you need to go down to #33 to see a topic posted last night (7/15).

Once I discovered that, I renumbered the last few topics.
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37. Q - What's coming up in the next 30 topics?

2009-07-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

'
I remain available for the moving of the Spirit (and for a new idea) [which sometimes may be the same thing], but likely topics in the near future include:

1. The Millennium: Three (four, or five) different viewpoints
2. The Rapture: When will it be? Four views.
3. The Prime Attribute of God: Is it Love?
4. The Future Event that does not cast a Shadow
5. Prophecy: Literal versus Symbolic Interpretation
6. RePost: Future Events indicated by Current Trends
7. Preterism: The future happened in the past
8. It will be worth it all -- when we see Jesus!
9. Biblical Prophecy's call to Holiness
10. Completion of the Future History outlines in topic #27 and #29.
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36. Iraq Suffers as the Euphrates River Dwindles

2009-07-15T17:51:00.001-07:00

'
In Topic #19 "Is North Korea mentioned in Biblical Prophecy", we discussed the Euphrates river, including this passage from the Book of Revelation, chapter 16, verse 12:
Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.

Incredibly, this may be starting already, no thanks to the countries that are North and North-West of Iraq, that are limiting the Euphrates River water entering into Iraq which is downstream from the source waters.
Here is an article about it.

The article is long, but there is a wealth of information about the problem, its history, and its likely future.

Thanks to end times website "Last Trumpet Living" for the article, originally published in the New York Times.
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35. One World Government and the Pope

2009-07-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

Updated and revised on July 18, 2009 4:55 p.m. CDT

I'm hopping into the middle of something we have not yet discussed on my posts, although if you read the Future History outlines, (long outline or short outline) you can see the One World Government is coming in the future.

In addition, I tend not to be a Pope-basher or Catholic-basher, since both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II are appreciated in protestant circles for their strong stands on morality, on right-to-life, against radical Islam, and for the reliability of the Bible. But here (strangely) Pope Benedict (whom I doubt very much is the Antichrist, nor any Pope!) comes down on the wrong side.

Here's the link to this news item on another end times website. Thanks to David Rozzell for linking me to it on twitter. If you're on twitter, you might follow David at: bearmycross714
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34. Put this down in the pestilence catagory!

2009-07-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

Headline:
Fast-growing kelp invades San Francisco Bay

A couple of quotes:

A fast-growing kelp from the Far East has spread along the California coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco Bay, worrying marine scientists and outpacing eradication efforts.

Because of its wide range, it has been nominated as among 100 of the world's worst invaders, according to the Global Invasive Species Database. Though Thursday's dive may remove the immediate threat to the bay, Lonhart believes they are fighting a losing battle against a persistent pest.

Click here for the article
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33. The Second Coming in 1st & 2nd Thessalonians

2009-07-11T19:29:00.000-07:00

BIBLE STUDY - Self-Study

The books of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians (5 chapters and 3 chapters) are unusual in that the Second Coming of Jesus is mentioned in every chapter except one (2 Thess 3).

Here are the passages in each of the chapters:

Note that the 1 Thess 4 passage is the longest section in the Bible about the rapture (snatching up, catching up) of the church. More about this important topic in later posts.

1 Thess 1:9-10 : 9 For they themselves (believers in other towns) declare concerning us (Paul and his companions) what manner of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

1 Thess 2:18-20 : 18 Therefore we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy!

1 Thess 3:11-13 : 11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

1 Thess 4:13-18 : 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thess 5:1-11 : 1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

2 Thess 1:5-10 : 5 This is obvious evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; 6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give you who are afflicted relief with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, on that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

2 Thess 2:1-12 : 1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by a spirit or by a word or by a letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ (or day of the Lord) had already come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away (apostasy, rebellion) comes first, and the man of sin (Antichrist) is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the very temple of God, showing himself that he is God.5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

These are all the passages in 1st and 2nd Thessalonians that refer and relate to the second coming of Jesus Christ, be it soon, or a long time from now. Bold highlighting is used to point out the words "come" and "coming".

Future Guided-Study posts will examine these verses one by one. But for now, you have them all in one place for your personal study and comparison.
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32. And another medium quake in Calif today

2009-07-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

Headline: "Quake Rattles California Coast Near San Diego"

see news story here

As the news story says, this quake was estimated as a 4.0 scale. Sounds puny, but it was 10 times larger than any other this last month in California. No injuries or damage.

Do you know how the Richter Scale works?
True or False: A 6.0 scale earthquake is twice as big as a 5.0 scale quake.
FALSE.
A 6.0 scale quake is ten times larger than a 5.0 scale quake.

And a 7.0 quake is a hundred times as big as a 5.0 quake.
And the 8.0 quake is a thousand times as big as a 5.0 quake.
Each number in the Richter scale goes up ten-fold.

Here are a few Richter Scale ratings for noteworthy quakes:
Damage usually occurs at 6.0 and above.

2004 Indian Ocean quake that raised the tsunami: 9.0-9.3 (one hundred times larger than 1994 and 1989 quakes listed below)
1994 Northridge, CA quake : 6.8
1989 San Francisco/Oakland, CA: 6.9-7.1 happened during practice for the 1989 World Series between (strangely) San Francisco vs. Oakland
1985 Mexico City, Mexico quake : 8.1 (Approx 10-15 times as large as either of the two CA quakes)
1964 Alaskan earthquake: 8.5-9.2 (measurements differ, but largest ever in No.Amer.)
1906 San Francisco, CA quake: est 7.8-8.1 (based on damage, no measuring equipment)
1755 Lisbon, Portugal quake & tsunami: est 9.0, opinions differ. Almost leveled the city.

A survival service of The Future History.
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31. Earthquakes and the End Times

2009-07-10T20:40:00.000-07:00

Seven Bible passages and a few current events

Headline today, July 10th, 2009: California 'due for big earthquake' after tremors near San Andreas Fault signal increased stress.

And another today in the Dallas Morning News: 7th earthquake since June rattles Cleburne, TX

California, yes, we’re expecting that one someday – but Texas??

First, let’s do a survey of the scriptures for all the end-time earthquake passages:

1. Ezekiel 38-39 is the main passage that deals with a Russia/Iran alliance with other countries against Israel, that apparently takes place in the early days of the 7-year time of tribulation and chaos.
Ezek 38:19-20 says: For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, on that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish […] and the birds […] and the beasts […] and all creeping things […], and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground.
From this passage only you might be surprised to learn that the Russia alliance is demolished by God's direct intervention.

2. Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 are three passages that cover essentially the same issues about earthquakes as the last days draw near:
Matt 24:7 says, …for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are just the beginning of birth-pangs.
Mark 13 and Luke 21 are almost identical.

3. Revelation 6:12 tells of the opening of the sixth seal (see outline of Revelation)
Rev 6:12 says: When he (the Lamb) opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood...

4. Revelation 8:5 tells of the opening of the seventh seal, and says: Then the angel took the censer* and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it down to the earth. And there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

5. Revelation 11:13 speaks of an event that may be at the middle of the 7-year tribulation period: And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city [Jerusalem] fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

6. Revelation 11:19 tells of the same time period: Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within His temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

7. Revelation 16:18-19 tells of the pouring of the seventh bowl of judgment in the air: And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there has never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city [Jerusalem] was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell…

These are all the passages in the Bible that speak of earthquakes in the end times. (Find another one? Let me know)

Just one thing more about relevant current events:
There have been over 500* earthquakes (of recordable magnitude) in California in the last week. See Cal-Earthquake-Chart

(Note that by Feb 27th, 2010, this figure was up to 750 per week. See blogpost #90.)

Chances are good that the earthquake era is only just beginning.

*censer - Old Testament vessel used for offering incense before God.
*over 500 - this figure continually changes.
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30. Who is this website for?

2009-07-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

Or should that be "Whom" ?

Or should it be "For whom is this website?" ?

Regardless, I see a full range of target audiences:
(A) Unbelievers; the non-religious; the merely curious; those apprehensive about the things coming upon the earth; those who think prophecy in general is a “cool thing”.
(B) Seekers: those genuinely interested in spiritual things like Bible prophecy, but themselves not yet in the Kingdom,
(C) New believers or stealth believers, untaught in Bible prophecy, but interested.
(D) Seasoned believers, for information and confirmation on things to come.

There will be something in here for everybody. As I have said elsewhere, some topics will be at the Prophecy 101 level,
some 201, and some 301 (Greek & Hebrew and all).

I am hoping that the readers will also leave comments to be discussed. I know you're checking in here, because the view count on my Profile keeps going up. I guarantee any reasonable comment will be answered, AND, may be important enough for me to discuss it as its very own numbered post.

(And it's still not too late to start with post #1 -- and it will help with the flow.)

29. Future History Events - condensed ver 0.1

2009-07-06T18:48:00.001-07:00

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Here is the (very) condensed version of my post 27, "Initial Future History Events ver 1.0"

A. The Great Disappearance/The Rapture of the Church
B. The Russia Coalition War/Anti-Israel Coalition Devastated
C. Global Leader-Antichrist emerges/makes 7 year peace pact to protect Israel
D. Catastrophic events on earth and in the heavens/Israel builds temple
E. Global Leader-Antichrist profanes the Jewish Temple, breaks peace pact after 3 1/2 years.
F. Terrible persecution is increased against Jews and Christians, since they are not aligned with OneWorldFaith.
G. Disasters from the heavens and from the abyss ravage earth/world prepares for war against Israel.
H. Armies come together at Armaggedon, bloodbath occurs on 7th anniversary of peace pact.
I. Jerusalem falls, Jesus Christ returns with armies of heaven. Evil resistance is crushed.
J. Christ sets up his Kingdom for a 1000 year period, Satan is bound, and martyred believers are raised.
K. At the end of the 1000 years, Satan is loosed, a great battle is again fought, and Satan is forever thrown into the lake of fire.
L. The New Heavens and the New Earth are completed, the New Jerusalem descends, and the Eternal Kingdom is forever ruled by the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with the saints of God as under-rulers and priests of praise.

Final additions of version 0.1 made July 16, 2009 11:14 p.m. CST

28. Uncertainty below, Certainty above

2009-07-05T12:52:00.001-07:00

Rev 9:15...

I tried this message on twitter, and it took two tweets, and I still didn't think I did the verse or idea justice, so I thought I'd expand a little over here on the blog.

Studying prophecy often takes you far outside of prophecy (and that's a good thing!)

Take Revelation 9:15 in context. Here is what is happening, starting in Revelation 5:
(1) A worthy one to open the 7-sealed scroll has been found (Jesus!!), (2) the 7 Seals have been opened by Jesus Himself and the 7 judgments pronounced and consummated, and (3) the angels of God now blow their trumpets in announcement and causation of the next set of judgments from God. (4) Five angels have blown their trumpets, and the sixth sounds his trumpet in announcement of (5) the releasing of four other angels who have been bound at the great river Euphrates (Rev 9:13).

Regardless of whether this future event takes place in 2013 or 2023 (or 20230), for us, the timing of this event is uncertain; but for God the timing is exact and precise. Notice His preparation: these four angels had "been prepared for the hour and day and month and year" that they might be released. It could only have been more precise if God would have added "and minute and second". But I think that is contained in the verse, not explicitly but rather implicitly.

God "holds the whole world in His hand", and we tend to think of material holdings like birds and people and the world itself, but he also holds the times and seasons in his hand. Thank God that our times (and seasons) are in his control.
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27. Initial Future History Events ver 1.0

2009-07-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

Version 1.0 of the Future History event list will be updated further as continued study goes on.
Revised, Enlarged on Sunday, July 5th 10:21

As for now, here is a short and simplified list of the future events anticipated and prophesied in the Bible, with possible related news headlines.

1. The Great Disappearance; Chaos occurs in many parts of the world

. . . Media News: "Hundreds of Millions Disappear; Theories Abound"

. . . Christian News: "Rapture of the Church occurs, world disbelieves"

2. Russian-lead multi-national attack on Israel; anti-Israeli coalition destroyed.

. . . Media News: "Massive Attack on Israel Mysteriously Fails.

Smoke seen around the world"

. . . Christian News: "Ezekiel 38-39 war takes place, God routs the nations"

3. Emerging world leader proposes solution to end war and bring peace to Middle-East.

. . . Media News: "Grand Unifier takes control, promises peace."

. . . Christian News: "Grand Unifier believed to be the Antichrist."

4. World Leader brokers peace for Israel for seven years.

. . . Media News: "Pax Israeli signed by all parties! It is PEACE FOR ISRAEL in our time!"

. . . Christian News: "Grand Unifier shown to be Antichrist,

prepare for chaos and tribulation."

5. Cataclysmic events happen upon the earth, chaos and devastation break out again.

. . . Media News: "Wars, Famines, and Earthquakes ravage the globe. Fatalities uncountable."

. . . Christian News: "The four horsemen of the Apocalypse gallop out. World trembles."

6. Jewish temple being rebuilt in the midst of temple mount.

. . . Media News: "Jews proceed with temple plans heedless of Mid-East catastrophes"

. . . Christian news: "Some Christians warn Jews about building the temple."

7. Jewish temple opens 2 years after peace pact. Jews rejoice!

. . . Media News: "All things ready, says High Priest, for God's plan to begin again."

. . . Christian news: "Miraculous provision of safety during temple construction"

8. World Leader enters, pollutes, closes down temple due to Jewish intolerance.

. . . Media News: "Jews refuse to join OneWorldFaith, temple ordered leveled by Deity-on-earth"
. . . Christian news: "Jews betrayed by Antichrist, three and a half years after pact"

9. Terrible persecution begins for Christian believers due to position against OneWorldFaith.

. . . Media News: "OneWorldFaith leader orders Christians jailed and tried for sedition and treason"

. . . Christian news: "Consign Mystery Babylon to the abyss, cry jailed Christians"

10. Meteors strike Earth; Demonic hell released upon the world; Nature in chaos.

. . . Media News: "The Deity-on-earth has no answer for cataclysmic natural disasters, demon-like creatures"

. . . Christian news: "Billions die under the righteous judgment of God; Babylon and Antichrist stagger but remain powerful"

11. Allies of World Leader prepare for war against Israel; Giant army marches west from Orient. Middle-East armies gather near newly-devastated Babylon.

. . . Media News: "World War III nears? Deity-on-earth headquarters destroyed; OneWorldFaith base demolished, likewise Economic Centre area"

. . . Christian news: "Babylon the Great is fallen, thrice; Antichrist rallies the Army of the West, militaries of the East, South, and North seem possessed."

12. ARMAGGEDON! Four armies converge, battle each other on 7th anniversary of peace pact.

. . . Media News: "Bloodbath in Northern Israel extends for miles. Israel not yet eradicated."
. . . Christian News: "As prophesied, Armaggedon runs with blood. Second coming must be near"

13. Jerusalem falls, Armies of heaven appear; Remainder of world armies unite.

. . . Media News: "Armies thrown into chaos by supposed 'return of Jesus and saints'. Leaders disappear.
. . . Christian News: "CHRIST RETURNS!!! Jews delivered, Antichrist and false prophet thrown into lake of fire"

14. Jesus Christ sets up his Kingdom; Satan is bound; martyred believers are raised.
. . . Media News: "Repair and reconstruction begin as Christ takes control; discontent begins almost immediately"
. . . Christian News: "Recovery directed by the Lord Jesus and the saints. Satan is bound, thrown into the pit, which is shut and sealed"

Construction has begun again...

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26. A short summary of what to expect...

2009-07-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

...on this site.

There are many excellent sites that are specifically for tying in biblical prophecy with current events, that subject often being 70-80% of such sites. Here, that'll be more like 20%, with 80% devoted to the scriptures.

The Future History blogsite will be concentrating upon discussing the scriptural basis for believing that the last days are coming soon, concept-by-concept, event-by-event, and scripture-by-scripture. Although some of the prophetic passages in the Bible are disputed even among similar-minded people, much of it is also basically agreed upon. The posts will often point out places of agreement and disagreement.

It is the conviction of the writer that the bible tells specifically about events that may begin within the next two to ten years. So believing that, we are called to warn and to be alert.

I have already published my outline for the book of Revelation, although as I said there, it is preliminary -- but I don't expect many changes to be made. So it is a tool you can already use if and when you begin to study the book for yourself, even though Revelation is not meant to be the total word on what is to come. My guess is that 80%-plus of what is included in End-Times prophecy lies outside of the book of Revelation.

Some postings will be at a Prophecy '101' level, and others at a '201' or '301' level (Greek syntax and all), although I doubt if I will be rating my posts in such a way for a generally unknown readership.

As stated before, soon I will post a basic outline of what is to come according to the Bible, and according to the pre-mill, pre-trib world view. More about that topic later.

25. Clearing the Decks for Action

2009-07-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

Alternatively, this could have been called "Clearing the Desk for Action".
I haven't been goofing around (since I haven't posted much in 6 days), but rather have been sorting out the wheat from the chaff in my life -- but mostly sorting it out in my garage and library.

Let me explain:
I have a library in the house of about 200 books.
I have a library in the garage of about 2000 books. (At one time, my friend Anthony Foster operated on the same principle -- the best in the house, the bulk in the garage.)
Plus, I had 4 days off over the July 4th holidaze.

So putting two and two together, I decided I would rework my books, resorting, rearranging, but mostly releasing and recirculating. Of those 2000 books, they are fairly evenly split between Christian and secular, and I wanted to get rid of about 300-400 or more of each.
My secular castaways usually go to Paperbacks Plus for cash.
My Christian candidates for recirculation always go to First Baptist of Dallas's Prison Ministry.
And plus, I would put all my 100 or so books about the Last Days, End times, Bible Prophecy, etc in one place in my library.

So, since it's 102 in the afternoon here in Dallas, I dress light, drink lots of water, mop my head and face regularly, and tear into it.

The result of three mornings of this? A lot straighter garage, books now shelved so I can see them, one section of shelves torn down !!, and 240 books in my trunk heading ASAP to Paperbacks Plus, and 120 books boxed for First Baptist, with many more to come.

There. I said it all in 140 characters, just like twitter.

I'm back to studying now, and soon I will post a few things.
May God bless your Independence Day holidays, and three cheers for the red, white, and blue!

24. The Future History Blogsite Bible Passage

2009-07-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

Updated 7/2/09 10:14 a.m. adding plain English interpretation.

The BLOGSITE PASSAGE (see left column) is posted here so it can be available for comments.
God has laid this mission upon the heart of the blogwriter, and his prayer is that others will join him as watchmen (and women!) for the Kingdom -- especially as we see the day approaching (Heb 10:25).

1 The word of the LORD came to me again: 2 "Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men, and make him their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then if anyone hears the sound of the trumpet but does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 For since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.

7 "So you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. So whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them a warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked one to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you do warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your own soul.

Here's a try at it in plain English:
It is the God-given responsibility of a watchman to warn of coming danger. If God gives him a message of warning for the people, and he does not give it, he is a faithless and unworthy watchman, and he will be held responsible for the destruction of the people. But if he does give it, he is faithful and worthy, and cannot be held responsible for whatever happens.

But there is more: If the watchman gives the God-given warning and the people hear him and act as they should and repent, no one is held responsible for whatever happens. But if the people refuse to acknowledge the warning and die, the watchman is not held responsible.

23. Outline of the Book of Revelation

2009-06-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

A few caveat emptors and aids to study: (1) this outline of Revelation is not identical to an outline of Future History (Bible Prophecy), because much of Future History is not mentioned in Revelation; (2) the events described in Revelation may not be in strict chronological order; and (3) This outline is not meant to be for all purposes, but specifically for study of prophetic issues -- thus the quick overview of the first three chapters.

Although posted, this is a preliminary draft, preparatory to final checking. This outline is completely my own creation, although it has been checked and rechecked against other similar outlines for accuracy, to avoid obvious error. Yet, it is hoped that it is more orderly in its presentation -- in the sense that the relation of the seals, trumpets, and bowls, in relation to the parenthetical sections can be more clearly seen.

It will be beneficial to click on the post title, and print this outline as we study the book of Revelation along with other prophetic passages.

1.) The servants, the setting, the "sevens", and the savior - Rev Ch 1
2.) Letters to seven local churches - Rev Ch 2 and 3
3.) The Scene in Heaven - Ch 4 and 5
.....a.) Jesus the Lamb takes the scroll to open it 5:6-14

4.) The Seven Seals - the start of the Tribulation period
.....a.) The 1st Seal - 1st horseman - False Christ/Antichrist 6:1-2
.....b.) The 2nd Seal - 2nd horseman - Peace goes, War starts 6:3-4
.....c.) The 3rd Seal - 3rd horseman - Famine upon the earth 6:5-6
.....d.) The 4th Seal - 4th horseman - Death and Hades come, bringing more war, famine, and pestilence 6:7-8
.....e.) The 5th Seal - The cry and comfort of the slaughtered martyrs 6:9-11
.....f.) The 6th Seal - Chaos and devastation on earth and in the heavenlies. The "Great Day of his wrath" arrives 6:12-17
..........(Parenthesis in Heaven:
...............1.) The sealing of the 144,000 witnesees 7:1-8
...............2.) The great multitude out of the great tribulation 7:9-17)
.....g.) The 7th Seal - Contains the 7 trumpets, silence and forewarning of judgment 8:1-5

5.) The Seven Trumpets -- The second half (the last 42 months of the Tribulation period) may start here at 5.a.), or may start at the 1st Woe (5.e.), or may start at the first Bowl judgment (7.a.). Knowledgable opinions differ.
.....a.) The 1st Trumpet - hail & fire with blood falls upon earth 8:6-7
.....b.) The 2nd Trumpet - a great burning mountain (meteor?) falls into the sea 8:8-9
.....c.) The 3rd Trumpet - a burning star-like object falls upon the rivers & streams 8:10-11
.....d.) The 4th Trumpet - a third of the heavenly bodies are struck 8:12
.....e.) The 5th Trumpet (The 1st Woe) - Satan falls from heaven, releases tormentors from the pit 9:1-12
.....f.) The 6th Trumpet (The 2nd Woe) - Four angels & 200 million horsemen released 9:13-21
..........(Parenthesis in Heaven:
...............1. Mighty Angel announces the 7 thunders (hidden) 10:1-4
...............2. Mighty Angel announces "there will be no more delay" 10:5-7
...............3. John eats the little scroll 10:8-11
...............4. The temple is measured, the two witnesses testify 11:1-14)
.....g.) The 7th Trumpet (The 3rd Woe) - The great announcement of the kingdom arrival, worship breaks out in heaven, more judgments commence, (and this last trumpet contains the 7 bowl judgments) 11:15-19

(6.) The Great Parenthesis
.....a.) The Woman (Israel), her Son (Messiah), and the Dragon (Satan) 12:1-6
.....b.) Satan thrown down to the Earth 12:7-11
.....c.) Woe to the Earth, war with Israel, war with the saints 12:12-17
.....d.) Power given to the first Beast (the Antichrist) 13:1-10
.....e.) And power given to the second Beast (the False Prophet) 13:11-15
.....f.) The Mark of the Beast 13:16-18
.....g.) The Lamb and the 144,000 14:1-5
.....h.) The messages of the three angels 14:6-13
.....i.) The harvest of the Earth -- the grapes of wrath 14:14-20
.....j.) The scene in heaven before the seven bowl judgments 15:1-8)

7.) The Seven Bowls of wrath (possibly the start of the 2nd half of the Tribulation, called the Great Tribulation)
.....a.) The 1st Bowl of wrath - harmful and painful sores 16:1-2
.....b.) The 2nd Bowl of wrath - sea becomes like blood, all sea life dies (salt water) 16:3
.....c.) The 3rd Bowl of wrath - rivers and springs become blood, (fresh water) 16:4
..........1.) Proclamation of the righteousness of God's judgments 16:5-7
.....d.) The 4th Bowl of wrath - poured out on the sun - fierce heat 16:8-9
.....e.) The 5th Bowl of wrath - poured out on the throne (kingdom) of the beast 16:10-11
.....f.) The 6th Bowl of wrath - poured out on the river Euphrates, to open the way 16:12
..........1.) Demonic spirits like frogs sent to assemble the kings 16:13-15
..........2.) The gathering takes place at Armaggedon 16:16 (see 19:11-21)
.....g.) The 7th Bowl of wrath - poured out in the air, "It is done" 16:17

(8. The Last Parenthesis)
.....a.) overview of the destruction of Babylon 16:18-21
..........1.) destruction of religious Babylon 17:1-18
..........2.) destruction of commercial Babylon 18:1-24)

9. The scene in heaven and Earth.
.....a.) Rejoicing in heaven 19:1-5
.....b.) The Marriage Supper of the Lamb 19:6-10
.....c.) The Battle of Armageddon 19:11-21

10. The Thousand Years, The New Heaven & the New Earth, Life with God
.....a.) The Thousand Years of Kingly Rule, with Satan bound, and thrown into the abyss 20:1-6
.....b.) The final defeat of Satan 20:7-10
.....c.) The Great White Throne judgment 20:11-15
.....d.) The New Heavens and the New Earth ch 21
..........1.) The New Jerusalem 21:9f
.....e.) Life with God 22:1-5
.....f.) The last warning to those alive now: Jesus is coming back 22:6-21

22. Will I become an angel when I die?

2009-06-27T19:25:00.001-07:00

No, sorry, I hate to burst your bubble; and Michael Jackson did not become one either, although you'd think he was already an angel to hear it told on the TV news and talk shows. It's a current common theme -- Michael looking down upon us. (And I'm not talking about Michael the genuine Archangel.)

But the reason that you, and I, and Michael Jackson will not become angels is primarily because angels are a different species than we are -- another type of being -- unrelated to mankind. It's like asking whether you will become a canine in the next life, or whether your late Fido will become a human in the heavenlies. (Which is a totally different issue as to whether we'll meet our pets in heaven. I hope we will !!)

There is a little more to it, however, in that angels (although sometimes visible) are spirit beings, aka non-corporeal beings. Some post in the future will tell us much more about angels. But even now I will complicate things a little, by saying there are two other types of beings that many writers put into the category of angels: the cherubim (pl.) and the seraphim (pl.). In a broad sense, we could put them in the angel category since they are spirit beings (although sometimes visible) also.

But here's a question: Do angels (in the narrow sense) have wings? That is, other than the angels for sale at the mall and shown in Disney movies? No, apparently not. There is no instance of wings being spoken of in the Bible concerning the angels. Go read your whole Bible and check it out. But the cherubim and seraphim BOTH have wings.

The seraphim are spoken of by name in only one passage of scripture (Isaiah 6:1-7) -- although there are hints of their action elsewhere, as fiery beings. "Seraphim" means the fiery ones, the burning ones.

The bizarrely beautiful four-faced cherubim, however, are mentioned often in the Bible, and play a large part in the book of Revelation. This is why I brought up the subject, since Revelation is full of angels and the living creatures involved both in worship and judgment. The beings described in Rev 4:6-11; Rev 5:6-14; and Rev 6:1, 3, 5, &7 (and called living creatures), are surely the same cherubim which are also described and called cherubim in Ezekiel 10:1-22, which are also described and again called living creatures in Ezekiel 1:5-28.

That should give you plenty to consider and to look up in your bibles.

May your guardian angels watch over you tonight. (But are you really sure you have a guardian angel?) :^)
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21. Revelation the book - veiled or unveiled?

2009-06-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

If those of us who teach the Bible are honest, we must admit that initially the book of Revelation was tough reading -- even after we had read it through many times. But perseverence paid off, because like all books of the Bible, with familiarity comes understanding, and it is no longer "the beast" that it once was.

At first, it seemed like God's purpose for the book of Revelation was to veil or hide some teaching about the end times from our knowledge or sight. Au contraire! Actually the opposite is true. If God's purpose was to hide, to veil, to block, the book would have been called Veilation -- although for me, it might as well have been called Veilation through the first few times through. Even now, every teacher of Revelation has had to reluctantly admit concerning certain passages, "These verses are still a puzzle", or "The meaning of this passage has been debated for 1900 plus years."

The word Revelation, is related to the English word "reveal", and comes from the Greek word apokalypsis which you may recognize in the English form "apocalypse" (for example, "The four horsemen of the apocalypse.") The word apocalypse means "revelation, disclosure, unveiling", and that is indeed what happens as one becomes familiar with the book and with the Bible in total.

So do not dispair if you are new to the Bible, or at least to Revelation. Surveys show that many people have read the Bible through, except for the book of Revelation. It is time for that to change, it is time for it to become unveiled to you! That will happen as we study forward through the book, and particularly as we compare it to the other prophetic passages in the Bible.

In the near future, we'll look at how we got the book of Revelation.

20. Open your Bibles -- but which one?

2009-06-26T20:56:00.001-07:00

The more we look into what the Bible teaches about the last days, the more I would recommend a Bible version that you can trust to accurately translate what was originally written in the languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

Prior to 1940, there were only two versions of the Bible that were widely used, the main one being the KJV (King James Version). This version was published in 1611 and updated a few times into the 1700's, but it is amazing how well it still holds up as a respectable version. The main problem with the KJV is that hundreds of English words no longer mean the same thing that they did back in 1611 or even in the 1700's when the last KJV updates were done, and the vocabulary itself is at times difficult as well as historically unreliable.

So, if you are going to use the KJV as your study Bible, you should also get a more recent version where the vocabulary is more dependable. Recent versions from about 1970 abound, and are of three basic types: literal word-for-word, hybrid dynamic-equivalence, and free-style. Free-style versions (such as the TLB, The Message, and NLT) are perhaps the most understandable, but are the least useful if accurate study is desired.

The hybrid versions, such as the NIV (New International Version - the best selling of the recent versions), strive for a middle-of-the-road position regarding accuracy vs. understandability. Where the literal bibles attempt to be a word-for-word translation of the early manuscripts, the NIV attempts to be a thought-for-thought translation, rendering the thoughts into a better-flowing equivalent of the word-for-word versions -- and if the only version available was the NIV, I would use it with pleasure. Yet I think we can do better for study purposes.

As for me, since I need to come as close to the originals as I can, I no longer use the KJV, and have gone to a more current vocabulary in a literal version, using the NKJV (New King James Version), the NASB (New American Standard Bible), and the ESV (English Standard Version). Each of these dependable versions have strengths and weaknesses, but often the text in many Bible passages is the same or nearly so in the three versions -- since they all attempt to be as close to a word-for-word literal translation as possible.

If you decide it is time for you to get a new Bible as we study more deeply into the Biblical texts, I would consider all the last four versions as a great improvement over the KJV, and would rank the ESV best, then the NKJV, the NASB, and the NIV. Best of all, get a parallel Bible that has two or more of these versions side-by-side. Often it helps to get a Study Bible, and all of these versions come with excellent ones, but just remember that the Study notes do not have the same accuracy, authority, and importance that the words of scripture do.

For Roman Catholics, the Douay-Rheims version has many of the same vocabulary problems as the KJV (having been published in the same period, around 1609), and I would rather recommend the highly readable, yet literal NAB (New American Bible). The NIV is also available for Catholics.

Hope this helps you select (or at least investigate) a new Bible. If you have questions or comments, please click on Comments below.

19. Is North Korea mentioned in Bible prophecy?

2009-06-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

The very short answer:
Maybe, with qualifications.

Is the word "Korea" in the Bible? : Most definitely not! Not explicitly, and not even implicitly.

Ten years ago, no one would even consider that North Korea might be a factor in the last days. But answer this: Is the word "China" mentioned in the Bible? Most definitely not! But most authors of books on prophecy consider that the nation of China -- more specifically the army of China -- appears near the final days of the end times.

It can be seen in the following passage in Revelation 9:13-16 which says:
13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard their number.

Another passage in Revelation 16:12 speaks of what most consider to be the same event and time: 12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.

This number of people (if the figure is to be taken literally) has been possible only since perhaps 1970, and almost all writers take this to be the Chinese army. However, there are other possibilities. The Revelation 9 passage does not tell where they are coming from, but the Revelation 16 passage says they are "the kings from the east". East often means "Orient", and the Orient includes such nations as China, Japan, and Korea. So this could be an all-out assault from the Orient countries.

Another view, which might exclude Korea, is that the Muslim nations also are generally to the east of the Holy Land, which is where all the nations are heading at the time of these two passages. This could be an all-out assault from the Muslim countries.

So the evidence is inconclusive and not as easy to interpret compared to whether Iran is mentioned in Bible prophecy, but thought-provoking just the same. For sure, we'll be looking at this issue again.

18. Is Iran mentioned in Bible prophecy?

2009-06-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

The very short answer:
Definitely, with qualifications.

Is the word "Iran" in the Bible? : Most definitely not! Not explicitly. But that does not mean that it is not implied in the Bible.

While "Iran" is not mentioned, if we look at maps of Biblical nations at various times in ancient history, we find that the area that Iran now occupies has been occupied by Persia off and on for around 2500 years. Present day Iran sits just to the east of present day Iraq, which was known best in ancient Biblical times as first, Assyria, and then, Babylonia. In those nations prime years (800 BC to 540 BC), two other nations were rising to their east, called Media and Persia. Those nations (as Medo-Persia) temporarily united to conquer Babylonia in 539 BC.

Media soon fell to Persia, which predominated in that area (Iran/Iraq area) until conquered by Alexander the Great in 330-331 BC. Within seven years, Alexander died, and eventually Persia ascended to again become the regional power (although weakened) in the Iraq/Iran area.

Since then, Persia and the Persians (who are not Arabs), have either remained in or returned to that general area, conquering, and being conquered (the Persian land fell to the Muslims [mostly Arabians] in 641 AD). See Iran and Persia in an encyclopedia for more information. Eventually Iran was reestablished in much of the area formerly known as Persia.

And so, when we find the nation Persia in a Bible verse, we can consider that the land is now usually called Iran (with some border variations).

In Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, there is a great war against Israel that is considered to be a very important prophetic passage by almost all, and also considered as not yet having occured by most. In this war, the major power is the nation to the far north of Israel (called Magog, Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal in Ezekiel's day). More about that nation in a later post (but you might check it out with a current map). But the list of other nations that unite with that major power against Israel is interesting: In Ezekiel 38:5, it states that "Persia, Ethiopia (possibly Sudan --aka 'Cush'), and Libya (aka 'Put') are with them".

So, yes, with the qualification of a name change, we can say that Iran is mentioned in Bible prophecy as Persia, and there will be much more about this coming war against Israel in future posts.

17. Are "the end times" different than "the last days"?

2009-06-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

This came as a question within a comment. I thought it deserved to be a full post.

Yes, different in the sense that "the last days" is infrequently used to refer to the time beginning when Christ rose from the dead (Heb 1:1-2) through the second coming of Christ. More often, however, "the last days" is used to mean a similar period as "the end times". In this sense, both of them mean the short period preceding and including the second coming of Christ, which is taken in some circles to be a period of 7 years or somewhat longer.

16. Future History Mission Statement

2009-06-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

Although this is posted up above, below the title, I thought it would be worth reposting it here for those who have overlooked it:

Future History: those events still set in the future that will one day become history. Some of them are near, some distant; some clear, some obscure. The purpose of this blog is to provide a forum for discussion about where the present and the future intersect. It is the writer’s conviction that the Bible is by far the most accurate source of what is yet going to happen, and what direction that current events are going to take. We’ll start out simple, and work our way toward the difficult.

Also, here you can comment on it if you like.
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15. Christian Soldiers? Growing Controversy

2009-06-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Friend Anthony sends this link to a Newsweek article about the growing controversy over military chaplains using the armed forces to spread the Word. The days for this sort of evangelism may be numbered.

14. Is The End Coming in '2012'?

2009-06-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

Updated and revised on July 18, 2009 4:55 p.m. CDT

Extremely doubtful. (See post #8 below)

Another post about the doomsday movie "2012"
See 2012 article link

Note: Since some links to news articles may not stay active forever, let me know via a comment if this weblink becomes inactive.
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13. Q - Why should I read the book of Revelation?

2009-06-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

A - You mean besides the obvious? Here are some reasons, obvious and not so obvious.

1. We should read the book of Revelation because it's part of the Bible, where God has told us ALL things that are necessary for life and godliness. (2 Pet 1:3)
2. We should read the book of Revelation because it's part of the Bible, where ALL scripture is inspired (breathed out, lit. ex-pired) by God and is PROFITABLE for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man (and woman) of God may be adequate/complete/mature, fully equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16-17)

Okay, okay, I get the general idea.
But are there any special or specific reasons to read the book of Revelation?

3. We should read the book of Revelation because Jesus Christ's second coming is inexorably linked to the end times. If we begin to see small sightings of the end times approaching, it will be a major clue that Jesus' return is not far away. And what specific book specializes on (a.) the end times and (b.) Jesus' second coming? The book of Revelation!

But, the book of Revelation itself tells us a reason to read it: That the one who reads it will be blessed (happy, fortunate, favored, blissful, spiritually rewarded) :
Rev 1:3 : "Blessed is the one who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and heed (listen to and do) the things which are written in it; for the time is near."

And just how near is the time? (It has been at least 1914 years from the date of the writing of Revelation until the present time).
And the nearness of the time (or lack of nearness) will become a topic for a future major sized post!

12. Q - When will the Future History outline be posted?

2009-06-20T19:37:00.001-07:00

updated Saturday, July 4, 2009 5:07 pm

A - Sometime within the next 15 days, and within the next 15 posts.
However, it may be that I will just post the first part -- perhaps the first half -- of the outline of what is to come.

UPDATE: The Future History Outline became Topic #27, with a condensed version at Topic #29

11. Q - Are we now in the end-times?

2009-06-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

A - It is the blogwriter's viewpoint, and that of many others, that we're not inside the house yet, but we are getting ready to climb up onto the porch.

Or, putting it another way: we cannot yet see the train on the horizon, but we can hear the horn in the distance, and the baggage handlers have started moving around. Clues are starting to multiply.

Or, still another way: when you enter the foothills of the Rockies, you'd better start preparing for the hard drive up the mountains. Difficult times are coming, perhaps sooner than we expect.

10. Outline of Future History in Matthew

2009-06-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

That would be the Bible book of Matthew, in chapter 24.
Now would be a good time to dust off your Bible, and find Matt 24, where we find one of just a few places where God has placed an outline of His own in the Bible.

I say that, because there is no end under the sun of recent outlines of books of the Bible -- but few that have been placed there during the original writing of a book of the Bible.

In Matthew, the outline of Future History goes like this:
1. "The end is not yet" -- read Mt 24:4-6 -- when we see these things happen, we should not yet pack our bags, but we should be watchful and waiting.
2."The beginning of sorrows (or 'birth pangs')" -- read Mt 24:7-8 -- when we see these things happen, we should realize that we are on the threshold of the end times (see post #11 directly above)
3. "Then the end will come" -- read Mt 24:9-14 -- the time of chaos and eventual blessing arrives.

This outline was put in Matthew for a good reason. These are actually answers to a question that was asked in 24:3, which was in response to a comment Jesus made in 24:2 :

As Jesus' disciples were pointing out the greatness of the temple, Jesus told them "Do you not see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone of the temple will be left upon another. It will all be torn down." So the disciples ask him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?"

And the answer to that question occupies most of the rest of Matthew chapter 24.
But here is a question for you to consider: Was the disciples' question actually two questions? Or maybe even three questions? The answer to that determines how we are going to interpret Jesus' primary teaching on the end times.

And there will be many more posts about that issue as we proceed.

9. Future Events indicated by Current Trends

2009-06-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

If “future events cast their shadows backwards” (see Post #2), then some events that are going to happen in the near future (2-5 years) must have their origins (in part) occurring in the present time, or even earlier.

A short list of trends that are happening now that could have major implications in the near future would include:
1. The return of Russian militancy and dominance
2. The belligerence of the new nuclear hopefuls
3. The renewed increase in wars and possibilities of wars
4. The growing riches in Israel
5. The growing pressure on Israel
6. The global rise of militant Islam
7. The rise in America of a stealth Islam
8. The global movement toward a cashless society
9. Growing government intrusion and interference with life and liberty
10. The increase in famines and earthquakes*1
11. An increase in the velocity of the trends themselves
12. The growing possibility of the collapse of the world economy (added 1/04/11)

This may seem like a fairly diverse list, where the items listed only have one thing in common: their current upward trend. But there is a second common factor that is not so readily apparent: the Bible speaks of most of these events happening in increasing measure as the end-times approach. These trends should be watched for increases, confirmations, and deviances.

As the days and weeks go on, we will look at each of these trends in single posts or multiple posts.

*1 – amazingly including Cleburne, Texas with six small earthquakes in the few weeks after this 2009 post.

8. Dec 21, 2012 (or Dec 12, 2012)

2009-06-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

Added 1/04/2011 3:23 p.m. CST: I reviewed this movie in post #96.

Added 2/23/10 9:02 p.m. CST: This movie was released in Nov '09, and came out in DVD in late Feb '10.

Added 7/18/09 3:37 p.m. CDT: I received a call about this topic #8 from a personal friend -- the caller thought I was unclear about whether I agreed with the Dec 2012 date for the end of the world or not. The answer is I don't, and I have cleared that up the body of the topic below. The main reason is that Jesus says in Matthew 24:36 (speaking of when Jesus will return): "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." The end of the world (as we know it) is tied up with the return of Jesus. See also topic #42 for more about the timing of his coming.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

According to the main website that expounds the Dec 2012 theory, and about 3,600,000 other sites according to Google, the world will end on this day. And this view has merit to many people (but NOT ME!!). A number of seers, students of ancient calendars, astrologers, celebrities, plus (allegedly) one Christian writer and speaker, have gotten on board the 12/21/12 bandwagon. Interestingly, the predicted time is not 12:12 GMT, but rather 11:11 GMT. Note the countdown clock on the above linked website.

Most of the events that are expected to take place in 2012 will have their origins much earlier – supposedly some began in 2008 – but these events will converge into a great cataclysmic holocaust on that day, many say (but NOT ME!!).

Before that date, the major SFX film “2012” will hit the theaters this year on November 13, 2009. It has the plotline: “An academic researcher leads a group of people in a fight to counteract the apocalyptic events that were predicted by the ancient Mayan calendar”.

And how does all this match up with Biblical passages about the end times? Not well at all. The worldly prophets have done as well as I described in post #3.

First, no Biblical passage mentions the date 12/21/2012 (actually, no passage mentions ANY end-time date); and second, in Matthew 24:36 it says that no one (not even the angels) knows the day and hour, which is known only by God. The "date setting" alone is evidence that something is wrong with the Dec 21, 2012 date, as well as the alternate date Dec 12, 2012.

Keep your eyes and ears open though. There will be much more this year about the topic as the movie is promoted and then opens, and then again as the date approaches.
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7. But where should I begin?

2009-06-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

If you are new to the Future History Blog, you are most fortunate! The Future History Blog is not very far along, and you can still follow the King's advice. I'm speaking, of course, of the King in "Alice in Wonderland", where he exclaims, "Begin at the beginning," the King said gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop."

And you can do precisely that, because post number 1 is only six posts below here. As far as going on "till you come to the end", you'll just need to make this Blog a favorite, and check back here about as fast as I can type.

AS FOR NOW, START BELOW WITH POST #1.

Please feel free to Comment on the posts, as that may help determine the direction of the Blog.

6. The Unpredictable Nature of Black Swans

2009-06-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

Nassim Nicholas Taleb has written a book called, "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable". While I wouldn't agree with everything in the book, Taleb has grasped something important: It is the highly improbable events that predominantly shape history. The author says that this is easily demonstrated in past history, and that we should expect such impactful events to continue into the future.

Put in the most simple terms, "Black Swans" are major events that could not have been predicted. Such events would include (1) The Lisbon Earthquake of 1755, (2) the Indonesia Tsunami of 2006, (3) The events of 9/11/2001, (4) the Great Flood of antiquity, and (5) the resurrection of Jesus Christ, just to name a few world or nation changing events.

Read Taleb's introduction to see why he calls such events "Black Swans".

There are many important and potential cataclysmic Black Swans in the prophetic sections of the Bible. To most people, the Great Disappearance (one of the next events on the horizon) will seem like a Black Swan occurance. Much more later about this event.

There will be more about other potential Black Swan events as the blog posts continue.

5. Is this Blog going somewhere?

2009-06-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, in every way. (There's a pun in there somewhere)
Well, not in EVERY way, although starting out it may seem like it.

Think of a long tunnel with a very wide opening at the entrance, but the further you enter the tunnel the more narrow it becomes. By the time you get to the far end, the walls seem to be closing together.

Or imagine a funnel. At the wide end, the points around the circumference are very far apart. At the small end, they are not far apart at all.

And that is the way this blog will be. Initially, the topics might seem to be very broad -- perhaps even scattered. But as the days go by, the threads of the posts will be drawn closer and tighter. Soon, you'll see a continuity. I would add that there won't be many posts about what Larry is doing right this minute (you'll need to see twitter for that). And a post about the death of a beloved pet will be an exception to the rule.

Did you read the italicised mission statement under the name of the blog (the fine print)? That should tell you more about the Blog, its direction, and eventual destination.

Next, a word about Black Swans.

4. The Passing of a Pet - letter to family & friends

2009-06-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

Dear Family and Friends,
It’s with great sadness that I tell you that today (Saturday 6/13/09) Mollie entered doggie heaven (or the long sleep as we also call it).

It all started when I (Larry) got up this morning, and found out that Mollie was having the problem again of not being able to get her hind-quarters up off the floor. It had been four weeks since her cancer surgery, and we had hoped we would have had longer with her. Still, we are very thankful to God for the time we had with her after her major operation. And for those four weeks, after the initial recovery, she was the old Mollie, with the same sparkle in her eyes, and the same bounce in her walk.

This time we knew what the problem was – her blood pressure had dropped drastically, apparently from internal bleeding. This morning the period of not being able to stand lasted 2 hours, compared to 45 minutes the other times it had happened. It was obvious that she was in a lot of misery.

So we made the arrangements at the vet, and like we did with Patchy (three years earlier), the doctor gave her the first shot to make her sleep, and we stayed with her and told her what a good girl she was and gave and got lots of goodbye kisses and pats. But where Patchy stayed awake about 10 minutes after the shot, Mollie fell asleep after about three minutes. The doctor came in to give her the second final shot, and at that point we left, leaving her there peacefully sleeping. Her last thoughts were how much she loved her family, and how much we loved her.

She had 15 wonderful and happy years, a long life, and only about two bad weeks – and that is a deal that I’d take any day!

Thanks for the prayers and concern, and yes, at some point in the future, perhaps a month or two we’ll get another dog. But as there will never be another Patchy, there will never be another Mollie.

Love from us both,
with sad hearts,
Larry (Dad, Grandpa, & Uncle), and Jeannine (GranJeannine, Sister, & Aunt)

A joyful P.S. : On 4/18/10, Jeannine and I went to pick up Sugar, our new adopted rescue dog, a senior golden retreiver, who is now the delight of our hearts. (added Jan 4, 2011)
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3. What shall we trust for our future history?

2009-06-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

In late 1972, as a new believer, I bought the edition of the National Enquirer's annual prophecy issue, where seers, prophets, fortune tellers, and the like, predicted what was going to happen in 1973.

My plan was to squirrel the issue away until the end of 1973, to see how they did -- particularly in comparison to the Bible.

It turned out to be not much of a contest. It has been widely pointed out that there are approximately 150 prophecies (some say even more) about the first coming of Jesus Christ in the Bible, most of them written 500-1100 years before he was born. And they were all 100% fulfilled. (One such list is in the back of Tim Lahaye's Prophecy Bible, where it lists each old testament prophecy and how it was fulfilled)

How did today's prophets in the National Enquirer do in comparison? They listed 68 prophecies for 1973, and I gave them a score of one and a half correct. Let's see. That would be 2.2% correct. What ones did they get right? One was about Elvis's comeback continuing, and the half one was a prediction that Edward Kennedy would get a divorce in 1973. Actually, he and his wife separated in that year, so I gave that prediction a half-right vote.

So what about the many Biblical prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled? In Future History posts we'll be looking at those prophecies, among other things.

2. Future events cast their shadows backward

2009-06-12T19:55:00.000-07:00

It is my strong conviction that future events cast their shadows backward into the present day. There are things that are going to happen in (for example) 2012, 2013, and 2016, that are starting to show their first evidences now, one, two, and five years earlier. The certainty of the YEAR, however, is harder to predict than the certainty of the EVENT.

Here's what I mean: Hitler invaded Austria in 1938, as seen, for example, in The Sound of Music, and as written about in "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich". But few people were surprised. Those who weren't surprised were generally students of history, and knew Hitler's history from 1932 to 1938. The signs had been obvious for years. The YEAR was uncertain, but the EVENT was sure.

On August 20, 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. The signs had been implicit for months, explicit for weeks. The DATE was uncertain, but the EVENT was sure.

And while the World Trade bombings on 9/11/2001 were not as easily seen in advance, it turned out that in retrospect a lot of evidence pointed to the fact that something big was going to happen. The DATE and PLACE were uncertain, but AN EVENT was sure.

The point is, for those who are watchful and wise in the ways of the world, future events can often be predicted. But for those with 'inside information', future events can be predicted with much greater accuracy -- where the EVENTS are spelled out beforehand.

And so, over the next few weeks, months, and years (as much time as we have...) we'll look together at the events that seem most certain -- as well as the relative timing. (Where we don't know when event "A" will happen, but when it does, "B" will surely follow.)

1. To tweet or not to tweet, that is the question

2009-06-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

Many of you are now using twitter, as I have been for a while. You probably know you can use up to 140 characters in a single message -- but no more than 140. I've decided that sometimes I need 141 characters -- or 1410, or 14,100 to say what I want to say (hopefully not 141,000). So, I'll continue to use twitter, and when I need to expand, I'll link over to here.

As I begin posting, I'm going to start with my early tweets (a single message on twitter), and expand on them.

Down below, I've listed a number of labels that will be themes throughout the posts.

Hope to hear from you soon.